Guyana Times Daily - July 8, 2015

wednesday, july 8, 2015

GECOM preps staff for Local Govt Elections

...says awaiting definitive date from Bulkan

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) said that all administrative and logistical arrangements are being carefully fine-tuned and put in place for the efficient, free, fair, and transparent conduct of Local Government Elections. However, the electoral body said that it was still awaiting a definitive date from Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan.

Bulkan told the National Assembly recently that Local Government Elections would be held in November of this year, although one of four reform bills – Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2015 was yet to be passed. The passage of this bill would require the support of the Opposition, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Then President Donald Ramotar had assented to three of the four reform bills passed in the National Assembly on August 8, 2014. The Fiscal Transfer Act, the Municipal and District Council Amendment Act, and the Local Government Commission Act. Under the Local Government

Amendment Bill, which was not assented to, financial and administrative powers were vested in the Local Government Commission, removing them from the subject ministry.

Only last week GECOM Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield said the Commission was still to hear from Bulkan on the November proposal for the election. Bulkan, in making the proposal during a parliamentary sitting, had said that he still needed to make contact with the elections body, since GECOM still had to give the go-ahead. Guyana Times sought to find out after the announcement by the Minister, if the Commission was in a position to hold the elections. But Lowenfield said such a decision would have to be made by the Commission. According to him, the Commission could only decide on such if it was briefed by the Minister. So far, this is yet to be done.

The CEO posited that “while we were in committee dealing with those bills, again every year Local Government Elections have to have been lawfully postponed by an amendment to the law, and again if you check the record over the years up to 2013, you will see an amendment being moved to postpone the election by the Government which was supported by [A Partnership for National Unity] APNU”. Local Government Elections have not been held since 1994 and an impasse in the 10th Parliament was said to have been causing continued delay. Local Government Elections are required to be held once every three years. Back in 1997, when the next elec-

tions were supposed to have been held, the country was constitutionally due to have a General Election, which was done, postponing local Government polls. Since then, and following constitutional reform, there has not been another election. Every year since elections had to be postponed by an amendment to the law.

Bulkan’s promise for local polls comes even as the Opposition PPP/C has already indicated that it would not be participating in any such elections overseen by the current management of GECOM. Following its calls for the removal of GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally, the Party made a call for a complete overhaul of the Commission before the body moved ahead with the holding of the long overdue Local Government Elections.

On Tuesday, that party’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee told a news conference that with the 2015 budget calculated to be presented in August and considering all the implications for the annual parliamenta-

ry recess, the nation should be expecting the elections to be held in the second half of the next year.

Meanwhile, in a statement, GECOM said last weekend it engaged some of its internal staff, consisting of Registration Officers, Assistant Registration Officers, Clerk IIIs and other selected staff from the Voter Registration Division, in a Refresher Training Programme, in order to further instil in them their respective roles and responsibilities. Some of the important areas addressed at this training exercise were: The Correct Completion of Forms, Processing of Registration Transactions, Field Verification, Field Investigation and Reporting (Double Registrations), Submission of Transactions/ Reports, Distribution and Record Keeping of ID Cards, and other pertinent issues relative to Local Government Elections.

GECOM further stated that it was currently in the early stages of preparation for the likely conduct of Local Government Elections in the future. “All administrative and logistical arrangements are being carefully fine-tuned and put in place for the efficient, free, fair, and transparent conduct of Local Government Elections. One critical subset of GECOM’s preparations is the recruitment and training of adequate and competent staff. This is currently being done and will continue as we await the announcement of a definitive date from the Honourable Minister of Communities for the conduct of Local Government Elections, subsequent to his in-depth collaboration with GECOM.”

Canje businesswoman shot to head by bandits

Police in Berbice are looking for five men they think could assist with their investigations into the shooting of a Canje Businesswoman on Monday evening.

According to reports, 39-year-old Angela Hussain was shot in the head when five heavilyarmed men entered the Palmyra grocery store as the Hussain’s were about to close for the day. According to the injured woman’s daughter; Shabanna, the men entered the premises at about 19:30h. According to her, as they were about to close, the five men – four carrying firearms and one with a cutlass – entered the building and went straight to her mother. “Two go to her and one to my father and the others go back outside.”

She said that the men demanded money and her mother showed them the day’s sales. “They take it and then they ask for more money and she tell them that is all the money that

she have and they leave and go outside.”

The younger Hussain said shortly after, two of the men re-entered the shop demanding more money while a third held on to her eight-year-old sibling. “They say that they gon shoot he if she ent take them upstairs where the money is.”

It was at that stage that Angela was shot, Shabanna noted. She said her mother retaliated to the threats of killing her child and was shot once to the back of the head. The men were then led to the upper flat of the building where they were given an undisclosed sum of cash and jewellery. They then made good their escape.

Hussain was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she underwent emergence surgery. Her condition is said to be stable. Meanwhile, Police arrived roughly 30 minutes after the shooting to begin their investigations.

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan

Angela Hussain is fighting for her life

wednesday, july 8, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, July 8 – 10:00h-11:30h and Thursday, July 9 – 11:00h-12:30h

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, July 8 – 09:10h-10:40h and Thursday, July 9 – 10:20h-11:50h

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily.

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers can be expected throughout the morning, with heavy to light rain showers expected in the afternoon. Thundery showers with cloudy conditions are expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-easterly between 2.23 metres and 3.12 metres per second.

High Tide: 09:25h and 21:56h reaching maximum heights of 2.48 metres and 2.45 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 02:55h and 15:24 reaching minimum heights of 0.73 metre and 0.75 metre respectively.

Jagdeo leads PPP/C’s list of MPs

...8 new faces including Clive Jagan

Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo leads the list of Members of Parliament for the People’s Progressive Party and among them are eight new comers including Dr Clive Jagan.

There was no place for former President Donald Ramotar and Robeson Benn. However, among the new comers are: Africo Sleman, Nigel Dharamlall and Collin Croal. Former Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett have given explanations for their absence from the list of MPs. The PPP/C has won 32 seats in the 65 seat-chamber. Their list of MPs was something of a mystery and at times speculations. A list of 31 MPs was provided with the 32nd to be released today. With Jagdeo being named among the 32 it is expected that he will be elected Opposition Leader as was reported by this newspaper. Other position such as Chief Whip and Deputy Speaker, the party said would be identified after their MPs are sworn in.

In a statement announcing its MPs the party said after a series of consultations at various levels over many weeks it has concluded discussions on its parliamentary representatives. The party said as customary and in-keeping with its policy, a number of factors were considered such as experience, youth, gender, ethnic composition, geographic-spread

among others. The PPP/C said it remains proud of its democratic tradition which allows the various tiers of it party to make meaningful inputs in the decision-making process. “The PPP wishes to confirm that its decision of the Opposition Leader has been fully endorsed by the Party’s Central Committee. Full disclosure in respect of those parliamentarians who will fill the position of Leader of the Opposition and Chief Whip will take place at the swearing-in of the thirty two (32) PPP Members of Parliament,” the statement added.

According to the PPP/C the list of Members of Parliament represents a list of persons who have the capabilities of representing all Guyanese more particularly, the over 200,000 persons who voted for the Party. “A number of new faces are expected to be heading for the National Assembly with a

GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCY

NEEND, KUMAR 4 PERSAUD, GILLIAN ROSEMARIE 5 MANICKCHAND, PRIYA DEVI 6 MAHADEO, VISHWA DEVA BUDHRAM

MUSTAPHA, ZULFIKAR 7 WESTFORD, JENNIFER REGINALDA ANN

9 CHARLIE, ALISTER SATURNIUS

good blend of youth and experienced Parliamentarians. However, the Party has not made a decision regarding when these Members of Parliament will take up their seats in Parliament. Consultations are still ongoing,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the party said that Rodrigues-Birkett and Dr Singh “who were being considered for Parliament have asked that their unavailability to serve the Party in the 11th Parliament of Guyana be made public to avoid any speculations. “For her part, Rodrigues-Birkett said: “... I have decided to do some work overseas that will take me out of Guyana for extended periods and which will not allow me to do the required work of a Member of Parliament at this time. My new engagement doesn’t take away from my commitment to the Party.’’

Dr Singh in his statement said, ‘’…I wish to thank the leadership of the PPP/C for inviting me to take up a seat among its 32 Members of Parliament, and for accommodating my reasons for declining that offer. As I explained, my personal and other commitments would make it difficult for me to discharge the obligations of a PPP/C MP in the manner I would like to at the current time. I remain firmly

committed to the PPP/C, and I continue to be available to be of service to the Party in other capacities’’.

Speaking with the Guyana Times during a recent interview General Secretary Clement Rohee said that the party over the next few weeks will roll out a comprehensive and politically sound strategic plan for regaining the reins of Government sooner than later, as it is now fully settled in its role as an Opposition party following the results of the May 11 General and Regional Elections. Rohee had also warned that the new David Granger-led Administration will be taught a very good lesson about how effective and democratically sound parties function in Opposition, while preparing to again enter the Executive. He said in the interview that the party had already made a strategic and tactical adjustment within its internal structures. “Our being in Opposition, however, is not simply to oppose for the sake of opposing. We will be a militant Opposition. We will be an Opposition that would ride on the basis of our manifesto and we will act as though we are readying ourselves to be in the Government sooner rather than later”, the General Secretary offered.

TOP UP

# Name of Candidate extracted

1ANAMAYAH, ADRIAN VENKATASUMA

2ANTHONY, FRANK CHRISTOPHER STANISLAUS

3CHANDARPAL, INDRANIE

4DHARAMLALL, NIGEL DEONARINE

5EDGHILL, JUAN ANTHONY

6HAMILTON, JOSEPH LINDEN FITZCLARENCE

7JAGAN, CLIVE RAMESH

8JAGDEO, BHARRAT

9LUMUMBA, ODINGA

10PERSAUD, GANGA

11PERSAUD, VINDHYA VASINI HARSHKUMARI

12RAMSARAN, BHERI SYGMOND

13RAMSON, CHARLES SHIVA

14ROHEE, CLEMENT JAMES

15SEERAJ, DHARAMKUMAR

16SELMAN, AFRICO ARCHIBALD

17SUKHAI, PAULINE ROSE ANN

18TEIXEIRA, GAIL

19RAMSAMMY, LESLIE SATRUKEN

NATIONAL

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Editor: Nigel Williams

Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Bringing back Jagdeo

The announcement by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary Clement Rohee that there is a strong possibility that Bharrat Jagdeo could return to the helm of day-to-day politics as this country’s Opposition Leader has ruffled some feathers and made the leadership of the country’s governing coalition apparently uneasy.

Since the disclosure that Jagdeo was favoured as the candidate to take the PPP/C forward following the May 11 General and Regional Elections, ‘anti-Jagdeoites’ have launched a new wave of attacks against the PPP/C.

Leading the cause in this respect are the usual suspects who seek to brand themselves as “nationalists, independent political commentators” and defenders of the Cheddi Jagan’s legacy and the future of the PPP/C.

Included in that group are the usual suspects in the persons of Ralph Ramkarran, Christopher Ram, Freddie Kissoon and social media provocateurs who dance to the tune of the new Government from the word go.

Others are set to follow especially those who ‘left the PPP/C’ allegedly because of Jagdeo, those who distanced themselves from the party because of concerns about corruption and ex-PPP/C Members who are now enjoying favourable relations as Ministers, state officials and sympathisers to the new coalition government.

In their writings and public pronouncements, they are seeking to convince Guyanese that Jagdeo is bad for the PPP/C and that the Party will implode under his leadership in Parliament. They would like Guyanese and supporters of the PPP/C to believe that Jagdeo is corrupt and is solely responsible for some of the problems facing the country at the moment.

These individuals also seem very concerned about Jagdeo’s imagined total control over the PPP/C machinery and the make-believe albatross he has placed around the neck of the PPP/C youth and leadership.

For them, Jagdeo is evil and everything he touches will turn to evil because he is unconcerned about the country and its people.

In their rush to force public opinion against Jagdeo, they have failed miserably to acknowledge the facts and dynamics surrounding the high levels of popularity and respect that he still enjoys within the Party and outside in face of nasty misinformation, distortions and lies peddled by the mass media especially the Glenn Lall-owned Kaieteur News and Stabroek News.

They refuse to accept the fact that it was Jagdeo who added flavour and colour to the 2011 and 2015 elections campaigns. In both instances, hundreds of thousands of people rallied around the PPP/C and connected emotionally with Jagdeo when compared to other party leaders for a myriad of reasons.

The things he said on the elections platform were on point, accurate for the most part, and delivered strong blows to those, now in Government, that crippled them at various points during the campaign.

It is not hard to believe that a majority of Guyanese from all ethnic and social persuasions would have voted the PPP/C back into power with a parliamentary majority had Jagdeo decided to run for President during the last two elections if there was no term limit.

Additionally, they appear far more concerned about the PPP/C and its future than those who currently sit at its helm and one must ask one’s self why. It could not be because they genuinely wanted the PPP/C in power or part of a shared governance arrangement with the coalition Government. And it certainly could not be because they wanted Donald Ramotar and Elisabeth Harper to lead the Party in the 11th Parliament because they have also hurled reprehensible and untrue propaganda against both of these distinguished Guyanese leaders.

It is clear that they are intent on weakening the Party by evoking subliminal feelings of discord, division and disunity within its membership following the May 11 elections. Their aim appears to be to embarrass Donald Ramotar who has shared a very close relationship with Jagdeo while he was the Party’s General Secretary, its presidential nominee and President of Guyana.

Should the PPP/C indeed move ahead with Jagdeo, many heads will roll and those who in Government continue to hide behind their fanciful promises, language and banter about national unity will be exposed. Jagdeo in five years’ time could weaken the Granger’s presidency bringing his Government to its knees. If he re-enters Parliament there would be no politician who could out-think him or out-manoeuvre him if a careful analysis is done of the line-up on both sides.

It is the PPP/C’s democratic right to decide who it should move forward with, following its recent political experiences and concerns about rigged elections. A public vote among the general membership of the PPP/C may very well vindicate any decision by the Party to move forward with Jagdeo.

That aside, Guyanese from all political groupings are also awaiting the ruling of the High Court and the Chief Justice’s interpretation of the termlimit clause in the Constitution as this too would impact the country’s political future and a possible return of Jagdeo as President, if he so desired and the people felt obliged to grant him that request. Jagdeo is far from the monster that some are making him out to be. He is a political animal and having worked most of his life in Guyana and served the people, he appears willing to give his all to his Party and country in the face of orchestrated assaults, brutish propaganda, ungrateful comrades within the Party structures and neo-opportunism that is creeping up among current and former PPP/C supporters and members.

If the PPP/C wants to win another election in Guyana, it might as well bring back Jagdeo to serve in Parliament.

Happy 116th Birthday

We warned them before the forced marriage was executed

Dear Editor, We warned them before the forced marriage was executed. We alerted them to the sure fact that the PNC/ APNU will breach the contract signed between the two parties, for the simple reason that the PNC is a bully and that’s what bullies do. The PNC is made up of experts at violating agreements and trying to persuade them to move away from bad habits will only spell disaster for the coalition and for the two prominent lawyers in the AFC party.

The scenes before us is reminiscent of two benchmarks in history, Peter

D’Aguiar and Vincent Teekah; I say no more.

So the two main puppets in the AFC have either of two things to do: continue being a puppet and pretend to the world that things are okay, or agitate for the upholding of the Cummingsburg Accord. They have chosen the route of discussions wherein the Accord can be patched up, resembling its intended purpose.

However, it is highly unlikely that Granger will dismantle the power structure he has deliberately set up. It is going to be his way or no way and if Nagamootoo wants to test the validity of

that statement he would be in for a fight. Granger and his military entourage could flex muscle to discipline the AFC.

Instead of discussing plans and policies to move this country along the continuum started by the PPP/C, we find ourselves locked in a power struggle between the coalition parties. Already two months into Office no developmental actions have been undertaken by the “unity government.”

This serves as a reminder that “unity” is not the motto of the PNC/APNU and the pitfall that resulting from

such a union could have been forseen. Nagamootoo and Ramjattan were duped into believing that this unity business could work, but sadly this is not the case. The AFC should seek advice from the superpowers that goaded them into this mess, and pressure the Granger Administration for redress. That main superpower might be able to negotiate a settlement.

However, presently that superpower is more inclined to pilot its gay rights agenda more than anything else. We are in serious trouble.

Neil Adams

Last Call for Alcohol

Dear Editor,

Permit me the opportunity to comment on a divisive issue of late and that is the decision to enforce the closure of clubs and drinking pubs by 2 am. I recognize and accept the immediacy with which the Minister of Public Security feels compelled to act due to extremely high crime rate; however I suspect this decision was done in haste and poorly consulted on.

As others have noted, crimes seen of late are not impulse crimes associated with inebriated persons acting in haste and out their normal self. These are planned crimes by two or more individuals with may have underlings in the drug trade or planned robberies.

Apart from the impact this decision will have on the business community, I do believe the time has come

to look at the dangerous culture of extreme drinking in public that we have had in Guyana for the longest time, something must be done to curb this excess in our society which I believe has played a hand in the degradation of our communities and culture in the last few decades.

I wish to highlight however my experience as an expat returning home from the US. The 2 am decree only applies to the selling of alcohol and does not extend to the closure of the operating establishment.

I rationalized this law was meant to protect citizens from the plague of drunk driving by limiting the available time a person may be permitted to consume alcohol.

What is most not worthy is that the law allows the operating entity the flexibili-

ty to operate after the 2 am point since money can still be made for the rest of time the entity chooses to remain open. This also allows the added advantage of allowing persons who may be considered over the limit or somewhat inebriated at the time to regain themselves before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle even though there are strict laws prohibiting drinking and driving and it is always advisable to have a designated driver, but we do not live in a perfect world and leeway must be given.

I would like to call on the powers-that-be to relook at this issue, albeit good intentioned and a step in the right direction towards curbing extreme alcohol consumption and the crimes associated, will have little impact on the types of crimes seen today and will no doubt

hurt our business and tourism sector.

I surmise a more thorough and holistic approach is needed to reduce the high incidence of crime in this country which is costing us dearly on every front and we need help from wherever we can get it immediately.

As others have suggested, Guyanese citizens must also step-up and be vigilant and responsible, but we need systems in place if citizenry are to do that, such as an effective and functioning 911 system with a responsive policing force, also a relook at the strict gun ownership laws in this country which does little to stop criminals from arming themselves but gives an unfair and dangerous disadvantage to the average citizen.

D Persaud

Susannah Mushatt Jones (seated), known as “Miss Susie” celebrates her 116th birthday with family members, local dignitaries, and friends in Brooklyn, July 7, 2015. Jones, who has become the world’s oldest living person, is the daughter of sharecroppers and granddaughter of slaves. Her 116th birthday was officially on Monday but celebrated today in New York (Reuters/Lucas Jackson)

Trade Unions at University of Guyana and the Law

Dear Editor,

The Labour Laws of Guyana provide the legal framework for functioning of trade unions in a responsible manner. For the University of Guyana (UG) these laws include the Trade Unions Act, the Labour Act and the Trade Union Recognition Act. These laws are taught at the University of Guyana. Can the executives of the Unions tell the University community and the general public how compliant they are with the laws? How consistent and principled are they in the teaching and practice of industrial relations at this higher Institution of learning?

There are two trade unions at UG, the recognized and certified University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) for UB Staff by the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board, and the unrecognized University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA). The Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board is the statutory body to certify a trade union as the recognised majorly trade for collective bargaining purposes. The Labour Laws for the functioning and governing of trade Unions impose obligations for trade union to be in

good standing. Are the trade unions at UG complying with the requirements of the labour laws?

Under the Trade Unions Act, trade unions are required to vest the property of the union in trustees for legal action, for financial accountability including auditing, and annual returns of statements to the Registrar of Trade Unions.

Under the Trade Union Recognition Act, trade unions are required to apply to the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board to be certified as the recognized majority union for collective bargaining purposes for a defined bargaining unit. This Act also imposes the obligation to negotiate and bargain in good faith. The concept and principles of good faith negotiations are well known. The conduct and behaviour of the UGSSA warrants the testing of this matter in the Courts, and any interested party engage this matter since the entity has not been abiding by the Law.

It is an established fact that the UGSS is not the certified, recognized majority union as the collective bargaining agent for UA Staff at the University, having failed three years ago to gain recognition.

It is therefore unrepresented of the majority of Senior Staff. The UGSSA cannot in the spirit and intent of the law bargain for UB Staff since the UGWU has sole and exclusive bargaining rights for its bargaining unit.

The UGSSA has been parading in the media and public sphere as the representative of Senior Staff although it is unqualified to do so. It’s persisting on “backdoor recognition by piggy-backing on the recognized status of UGWU” under the guise of joint negotiations despite the separate bargaining units with distinct community of interest of staff, and nature of their duties. The University administration caved in under external political influence and pressure and participated in this disorderly and unprincipled conduct of industrial relations.

This is a recurrent situation which existed long before the recruitment of the current Vice-Chancellor who is being used as the scape-goat.

The power approach –building up expectations of staff with unrealistic proposals at general meetings, agitation in the media before dialogue/discussions, unnecessary industrial action, negoti-

Caricom members should respect the Treaty of

Dear Editor, The decision to establish Caricom was taken by Heads of Government on July 4, 1972, and the following year, the Treaty of Chaguaramas was signed replacing CARIFTA to reinforce enhance partnership not only in terms of free trade and free movement, in international competiveness and co-ordination.

It is regrettable that after 42 years the regional body is not heeding to the Treaty in several aspects. The first has to do with decisions taken by Heads of Government which aren’t implemented. Then, freedom of movement is not adhered to (which is why Jamaica Shanique Myrie sued the Barbados immigration authorities after she was finger searched and refused entry).

Thirdly, there’s the harassment of some nationals, especially Guyanese and Jamaicans.

Trinidad and Tobago has nominated Dr. Bhoj Tiwari, who is hardly known outside his native country, to become the CarCom Secretary General while the Commonwealth of Dominica has submitted Baroness Patricia Scotland who was an active member of the London based Privy Council. Antigua and Barbuda named Sir Ronald Sanders, a Guyanese born senior diplomat who served in committees for the Commonwealth Secretariat and knows the operation of the Secretariat, guaranteeing an excellent job for the 53 nation body at this time in its history.

The Heads of Government should have discussed the nomination at its recently conclud-

ed meeting, but were unable to due to lack of time. Caricom Chairman Freundel Stuart said he is heading a three member committee to look into the matter and to make suitable recommendations. Grenada Prime Minister, Keith Mitchell who is supporting Sir Ronald indicated that a candidate isn’t agreed upon it could cost the region.

The post is rotated between Commonwealth regions and the Caribbean region next in line. But the Grenadian Prime Minister said disunity in Caricom may jeopardise this practice.

Caricom Chairman Freundel Stuart who is also the Prime Minister of Barbados said that if the Caribbean misses out it could take 40 years before the position rotates to the Region.

“Lloyd the magician”

Dear Editor,

I would like to speak out on the treatment given to our great cricketer Chanderpaul.

Misbah-ul-Haq, average 49, is 42 years old, and still wants to play, Younis Khan , average 53, is 39 years old and also wants to play. Marlon Samuel with an average of 35 is 35 years old and still wants to play. Whatever happened to Chanderpaul who has an average of 53, is 41 years old and fit as ever to play?

In any field of work or sports for any replacement, there should be well trained and fit persons to do the job. Lloyd as an Experience Cricketing Administrator in International Cricket, should not be forced to deliver Chanderpaul’s a letter terminating his service from international cricket.

All players have bad patches and Lloyd should know that. The greatest have all had bad patched such as Tendulkar, Dravid, Kumble, Lakshman. Some wanted to continue playing for a while but were forced

out by the Press in India.

The greatest of all Batsmen in my perspective, Rohan Kanhai, was called back at the age of 40, in the first ever World Cup Final in 1975 at Lords, where Lloyd was handed the captaincy, due to Sobers injury.

At age 40 Kanhai, batted at # 4, he never batted at that rate, ever. He made 55 runs of 105 balls and saved the game. While Lloyd was hitting at the other end, he made 105 runs in 85 balls. Lloyd was out before Kanhai. We were surprised to see Kanhai in that match because he was not selected for the series and was replaced by Viv Richard who failed miserably. Why didn’t the West Indies Board deem Kanhai too old to play? Chanderpaul wants to play and he is physically fit, so why didn’t the Selector, Lloyd, and the Coach Phils Simmons, allow him to play? Simmons haven’t the experience needed to determine whether Chanderpaul is fit to continue

or not.

The World Cup final was Kanhai’s last international game and at 40, he rose to the occasion with a magnificent 55. Lloyd should have allowed Chanderpaul to save the West Indies and and play until they a suitable replacement was found.

Coach Gibson had also asked Chanderpaul to resign but he didn’t, and instead proved himself worthy. Chanderpaul is the only dependable batsman remaining in the West Indies. The West Indies Cricket Administration didn’t want Lloyd on the Board but eventually he got in as the Chief selector will have to do the dirty work while he abides with the decisions made.

It is a shame to world cricket that the West Indies Cricket Board is doing this to one of the world’s best cricketers. With this Administration, cricket will not improve in the West Indies, players will continue to have problems and to strike.

S N Singh

ations in the media, misinformation to the media, external influences and pressures, illegal actions, vocal, boisterous minority agitation, public agitation and demonstration, bullyism, besetting, watching and intimidating those willing to work, political lobbying, and personal attacks on the integrity of the Vice Chancellor - all of which seem to be engineered by an unrepresentative, minority and unrecognized senior staff association. The Vice Chancellor has the support and confidence of the University Council and those who have the good interest of the University at heart, but for the few disgruntled union officials with their predetermined agenda.

The University Unions should be a good example for the nation by eschewing the power approach and employing the consensus and rights approaches in good faith encounters. There are also the Conciliation/Mediation and Arbitration processes in the event of failure of the earlier processes. Is the UGSS following these procedures and established principles? Let the interested public know!

Samuel J Goolsarran

Chaguaramas

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister, Gaston Browne said Sanders is the fore-runner candidate He isn’t trailing behind any other, he has the most pledges and more so he is the best prospecting candidate.

It is disturbing that regional leaders are so biased and blind to reality. They should look closely to the curriculum vitae of the three. It is clear that Sir Ronald Sanders is miles ahead of the other two candidates.

Yours truly, Oscar Ramjeet

NY Guyanese Hosts India’s Academic and Cultural Scholar

Dear Editor, The Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir played host to a spectacular concert last Sunday evening, “The Voice & Soul of India Sings”, with renowned classical singer/musician Professor Uma Garg of Delhi University. The concert as co-sponsored by the Richmond Hill Economic Development Council (RHEDC) which is led by activist Vishnu Mahadeo.

The event was held mainly to benefit the Senior Citizen program that is held on behalf of RHEDC in partnership with the members of the Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, every Wednesday from 11 am - 2 pm. Every week seniors from the surrounding area attend the Senior Citizen program to get information and help with medicare, medicaid, housing, food stamps, and SSI. They have also been treated with delicious and nutritious meals that are organized by Mahadeo and a host of volunteers. Mahadeo has developed a reputation as one of the hardest working community volunteers in the Indo-Caribbean community in America.

Last Sunday’s concert began with the RHEDC President, Vishnu Mahadeo along with the President of the Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Rishi Persaud, delivering remarks and welcoming the singers and musicians.

Uma Garg is India’s most renowned vocalist who has been blessed to have trained by the very best of vocalist since her childhood (age 4), like Pandit Mani Prasad and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Kirana Ghana. Umaji is currently the Dean and Head at the Faculty of Music & Fine Arts at the University of Delhi, one of the largest and most prestigious universities in India. At University of Delhi, she trained dozens of Guyanese and Caribbean singers and musicians, including Dr. Roopnarine Balkaran and his wife Mala. She sang several ghazals, ragas and bhajans. Few are bestowed with such talent as hers. Mala and

Roopnarine serenaded Uma-ji with a couple of their own classical geets -- demonstrating to their guru how far they have progressed since their training in Delhi a couple decades ago. Pandit Rai Ramdeen, who also studied under her guidance and runs a music school and is affiliated with the Arya Samaj under Pandit Ramlall, accompanied Uma on the harmonium.

Also performing in the concert was none other than India’s most renowned tabla player Ustad Kader Khan of the Kalavant Center along with the divine couple of Guyana, Dr. Roopnarine (Devo) & Mala Balkaran, who officially opened the program with two lovely bhajans.

Umaji began her session with an enchanting raga “Shiva Shiva Mahadev.” Her singing painted some magnificent images of the lord.

At the conclusion of the concert, Umaji was presented with a proclamation from New York City Public Advocate Letitia James in “Recognition of her Outstanding Talent & Achievements in the Arts”. Ms. James is the second ranking official of the city just behind the Mayor. The proclamation noted that the caliber of the singer ability of Uma saying the community is blessed to host her. The Proclamation noted that Uma is worthy of the community and city’s highest respect and esteem.

Uma has given selflessly of her talent and she voluntarily teaches classical music when not at the university. She stresses the importance of classical music and of teaching it to children at a young age. She said it was a joy to teach Caribbean students music and dance at the university.

Activist Vishnu Mahadeo of RHEDC was also presented with a Proclamation on behalf of Public Advocate, for his “Contribution & Dedication towards assisting the Seniors of the Richmond Hill Community”.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram and Imran Ahmad

Page Foundation

Preparing your older child for a new sibling

BY DINA ROTH

If you’re introducing a new sibling, help your older child or firstborn adjust to the idea of an addition to the family.

There’s nothing quite as joyous as bringing home a baby, but it can shift the family dynamic, especially if you already have a first child at home. If she’s still too young to understand the concept of having a new sibling, expect jealousy, confusion, and even anger. Before and after the baby arrives, take these steps to help your older child adjust to the new family member and welcome her sibling with open arms.

Enlist their help

Older siblings love being “big helpers.” Get them involved in choosing items for the baby before she arrives. Let them pick out a baby blanket and decide what colour to paint the room. After the baby is home, assign simple tasks to your older child, such as picking out the baby’s pajamas or handing you a burp cloth during feeding and a diaper during changing time. By getting involved in caring for the younger sibling, your older child will feel more included and less jealous.

Role-play responsibilities

Some children – especially girls –will enjoy having a baby doll of their own to care for, suggests Tanya R Altmann, MD, a Paediatrician in West Lake Village, California, and author of Caring for your baby and young child While you change the baby, have your older child mimic what you’re doing on her doll. She can feed the doll (with a toy bottle) and pretend to burp it after. Or give her a better sense of what to expect by reading books.

Pour out the praise

Make a fuss about all the things your older child can do that the baby can’t do yet – such as reading books with Mommy, going for walks with Daddy, or even eating yummy foods like ice

cream and pizza. This will help him realise that although the baby is new and unique, he’s special in his own way, too. Of course, it’s important to say positive things about the baby – saying “She just smiled for the first time!” or “She finally slept through the night!” might help

your older one establish a sense of pride in her little sister or brother.

Set aside special time

Once the baby arrives, make sure you and your spouse spend plenty of alone time with the big sibling, says Jennifer Shu, MD, a Paediatrician in Atlanta, Georgia, and author of Heading home with your newborn. Doing so helps remind older children that while mommy and daddy do love the new baby, they still love the other children just as much. You and your firstborn can grab a quick lunch together at home while the baby is sleeping or even go for a walk to a nearby playground. If necessary, ask visiting grandparents or relatives to help out with babysitting. Your infant will not know whether she spent every waking moment of her first few months with you – but your older one might.

Walk down memory lane Whip out the photo album or videos of your older child as an infant. A visit to the past will help her understand what changes she might soon see or en-

counter in your household. Emphasise the importance of family and nurture a sense of belonging, by asking questions such as “I wonder, will the new baby will have your nose? Or will he have more hair than you did? Or will her cries sound like yours did?”

Avoid transitions

Most experts agree that parents should avoid any major changes in their older child’s life – the addition of a new sibling will be enough of an upheaval. You don’t want him to associate the baby with the loss of familiarity and comfort, such as his crib, Binky, or diapers, for example. So if you’re thinking of transitioning him to a toddler or big-kid bed, potty training, weaning off a Binky, changing babysitters, or moving to a new neighbourhood, it’s better to do so months before or after the baby arrives.

Be clear and honest

When you tell your firstborn she is going to become a big sister, say it with excitement, Dr Altmann advises. But don’t try to sugar coat those early months. Explain that the baby will sleep most of the day and cry a lot, but that soon he’ll be giggling, smiling, and ready to play. You might also want to say, “mommy is going to be very tired when the baby first comes home, but that means we’ll have extra snuggle time in bed together.” If a child is too young to understand, you can still repeat words like “baby,” “sister,” or “brother” during the pregnancy to give her a sense of what’s to come.

Pick up little tokens

When you’re in the hospital, give the big sibling a small gift and say it’s from the new baby, Dr Altmann suggests. You can also ask him to help pick out a present for his new brother or sister. Your child will feel more love and appreciation for the baby. Also, keep small toys and books on hand in case well-wishers bring gifts for the baby and not for the big sibling. (parents.com)

Brazil introduces new caesarean birth rules

New rules have come into force in Brazil aimed at reducing the country’s high number of caesarean births.

Eighty-five per cent of all births in Brazilian private hospitals are caesareans and in public hospitals the figure is 45 per cent. The new rules oblige doctors to inform women about the risks and ask them to sign a consent form before performing a caesarean.

The new rules are designed to reduce unnecessary surgical procedures, and ensure pregnant women are aware of the risks associated with caesareans.

However, experts say that a scarcity of maternity beds and wards equipped to deal with natural births means that for many women in Brazil, caesarean birth is seen as the best option.

Doctors will also have to justify why a caesarean was necessary. They will have to fill in a complete record of how the labour and birth developed and explain their actions. Each pregnant woman will now be assigned medical notes which record the history of her pregnancy, which she can take with her if she changes doctors.

“The best way to guarantee yourself a bed in a good hospital is to book a caesarean,” Pedro Octavio de Britto Pereira, an Obstetrician and Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said in an interview with BBC Brasil last year.

‘Uncivilised and primitive’ Women who want to give birth naturally in a private hospital have reported finding all the beds are reserved for scheduled deliveries. There have been numerous reports of women going into labour without a caesarean scheduled and being forced to travel from hospital to hospital in search of a bed.

Researchers say many women also see caesareans as more civilised and modern, and natural birth as primitive, ugly and inconvenient.

In Brazil’s body-conscious culture, where there is little information given about childbirth, there is also huge concern that natural birth can make women sexually unattractive. Many doctors prefer caesareans too, as they can plan the time of a birth, and feel more protected from litigation.

Gynaecologist Renato Sa told BBC Brasil: “Doctors are responsible for what happens and in a situation of risk they chose a caesarean, because if there is a death or complication they will be asked why they didn’t do this. Doctors are afraid of natural childbirth.”

Recalled Venezuelan Ambassador still in GT

… hosts independence reception at embassy

Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana Reina Margarita Arratia Diaz is still in Georgetown, despite her President Nicolás Maduro on Monday announced that he was recalling her and commissioning a comprehensive review of his country’s diplomatic ties with this country.

Diaz is not only still in Guyana, but hosted a reception to mark her country’s 204th year of Independence. When Guyana Times visited the Venezuelan Embassy on Tuesday, it was confirmed that Ambassador Diaz was still present in Guyana. In fact, she was hosting a midday reception to celebrate Venezuela’s Independence Day anniversary, which was observed on July 5. The seemingly intimate reception was held at the Embassy’s Thomas Street, Georgetown, location and had a small gathering of mostly Venezuelan guests, as well as a few members of other foreign missions in Guyana.

From all indications, it appears as though the Ambassador was making no arrangements to return to her native country. This newspaper was told that even though the Venezuelan President had made the announcement, Ambassador Diaz did not receive any formal order to return home. At the time of this newspaper’s visit, the news of President Maduro’s withdrawal of the controversial decree was not known; however, this information was related by a source. The source also confirmed that operations at the

embassy have been proceeding as per normal, noting that even visas to the neighbouring Spanish speaking country are being granted on a regular basis.

In addition to recalling the Venezuelan Ambassador, President Maduro also indicated that the Embassy’s

Govt now to craft anti-crime strategy ..little details emerging from confab

Government on Tuesday said it was developing a broadbased anti-crime strategy to beat back rampant criminality that has gripped this country in the past month.

Under pressure to deliver on his campaign promise of keeping Guyana safe, President David Granger met with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally; Commissioner of Police Seelall, Persaud and Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Colonel Khemraj Persaud.

In a press release, the Ministry of the Presidency hailed the meeting as a success and disclosed that initial talks were ongoing for the crafting of a broad-based strategic crime-fighting approach that will deliver short-term goals as well as

long-term goals.

Only recently, Ramjattan admitted that in order to significantly reduce the crime rate in the country, a longterm plan will have to take effect as this serious crime surge cannot be curbed with short-term strategies. At the meeting, the officials gave the nation reassurance of safety as they vowed to move swiftly and vigorously to address the crime situation in the country. However, the release was limited on details of the approach the Government would take to tackle the drastic rise in crime. Ramjattan had disclosed that in an effort to curb the situation, the Police Force was instructed to increase its patrols in Divisions A (Georgetown-East Bank Demerara); B (Berbice); C (East Coast Demerara) and D (West Bank DemeraraEast Bank Essequibo).

In addition, resourc-

es previously used by Community Policing Groups will be redirected towards the core function of the Police Force to help combat crime. Ramjattan had previously expressed that fighting crime was a herculean and multidimensional task, as it could not be easily erased or reduced from any society. He explained that Government will have to first identify the root causes for the problems and then address the matters from there.

“What are the root causes as I mentioned in Parliament, there is a lot of desperation because of youth and unemployment especially and we have to address that, and of course, the greed of some other people because although some people have good jobs, they are greedy like certain people who attempted to steal eight vehicles the other day. There is also cleansing the

staff size in Guyana will also be reduced. He further directed his Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs to have a comprehensive review of relations with the present Government of Guyana. To this end, the Head of State sought full support from the country and the National Assembly. He further outlined that in relation to the territory of Essequibo, Venezuela has presented elements in its defence of its sovereignty to many international organisations such as the United Nations (UN), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), among others.

Police Force of rogue cops as I mentioned. It’s a massive multidimensional task.”

Maduro on Monday told his country’s National Assembly that he has decided to recall his Ambassador for consultations, minimise the Venezuelan embassy staff in the neighbouring country and order Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez to review diplomatic relations with Guyana. His move came in response to recent tensions over a border controversy involving the Essequibo area. In Maduro’s words, attempts have been made to use the issue of the Essequibo to spur an “irritating provocation against the dignity of the Venezuelan people.” Accompanied by the Executive Cabinet and

before the Deputies of the National Assembly, during a mandatory nationwide radio and television address, Maduro said that “the history of the Essequibo has been like a wound in the heart of the country for over two centuries,” which was caused by the “British Empire.” He stressed that “with the complicity of major political and economic actors in Guyana, a very serious and dangerous scenario has been set, and it must be dissipated and neutralised with national union. Like never before, Venezuela will pursue its fair claim over the Essequibo under the international law, and will re-conquer it peacefully. Therefore, my first word is national union.” “There is a political, diplomatic, media and economic operation against Venezuela to put pressure on our region and ignite high-intensity conflicts,” he added. Additionally, Maduro said that US oil company ExxonMobil had a “high impact” on the presidential campaign and election of David Granger as President of Guyana. According to Maduro, since he took office, Granger has issued “hard” statements. He remarked that Granger is a “hostage” of ExxonMobil. Maduro noted that Granger has even issued “racist statements” against Venezuelans.

Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana Reina Margarita Arratia Diaz had paid a courtesy call on President David Granger during the early days of his presidency

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President David Granger; Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally; Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud and Deputy Chiefof-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Colonel Khemraj Persaud at the high-level meeting to tackle crime

Berbice cops want more vehicles to fight crime

By Andrew CArmiChAel

Alimited number of vehicles to conduct patrols and respond to incidents of crime is the biggest bugbear for the Police in addressing the upsurge in criminal activities in Berbice.

On Monday night, a businesswoman was shot in her head and last week another businessman was murdered while several armed robberies were carried out. Citizens across the country have been upping the pressure on Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan for him to respond adequately to the crisis.

Speaking during an interview with this newspaper, B Division (Berbice) Commander, Assistant Commissioner Christopher Griffith expressed concerns over the spiralling crime wave on the Corentyne Coast. He said his ranks could not effectively respond in a timely manner when the need arose because of the lack of vehicles. Griffith told Guyana Times that the Police stations in the Division were very far apart allowing criminals to have the upper hand over the Police. “We need more resources in terms of personnel and vehicles.”

Bandits have gone on a rampage in Berbice. On

Monday about 19:00h, five men, armed with firearms and cutlasses, shot Palmyra businesswoman Angela Hussain in the head when they held up her family. The bandits took jewellery and an undisclosed sum of cash before making good their escape.

On Saturday about 20:30h, four men armed with what seemed to be firearms gained entry through the back door of Jai Hao Supermarket of Lot 72 Independence Avenue, Rose Hall Town, Corentyne and held up two Chinese nationals. They took away an undisclosed sum of cash before fleeing. The owner Jai Hao received injuries to the head and was treated at the Port Mourant Hospital. Investigators are currently viewing surveillance cameras for footage of the incident.

Additionally, on Friday night, two Corentyne fami-

and Whim, leaving the entire West Berbice without a patrol vehicle. “One of the new vehicles will go to New Amsterdam and another one to Whim. We will also send one to the Springlands Station and the other one to Fort Wellington Station,” Griffith said.

However, he noted that the number of vehicles were still not sufficient to patrol the entire Division, although they boosted their capacity in the Berbice Division. According to the Assistant Commissioner, the Division will be involving residents in ‘face the community’ meetings and also targeting youths to get them off the streets by trying to get into places like the industrial training centres which are situated in New Amsterdam, along the Corentyne Coast and at Mahaicony, West Coast Berbice. “But still I can’t promise that I can stop crime.

lies at Bush Lot Farm were robbed at gunpoint by several bandits who shot 21-year-old Dorwin Lord in the face before fleeing with close to $1 million in cash and jewellery.

According to the Commander, on Saturday, the Division received four vehicles from the Public Security Ministry. This, he said, will significantly boost its crime-fighting capabilities. Previously there were only two vehicles in the entire Division, which has 10 Police stations and three outposts. The two vehicles were placed at New Amsterdam

Since I was a little boy, there has been crime,” Griffith said.

Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce President Tajpaul Adjodhea said the Chamber was monitoring what has been taking place, noting that in recent months, several businesses along the Corentyne have become victims of armed robberies. According to Adjodhea, the Chamber shared its concerns with Commander Griffith and agreed to monitor the situation for the next two weeks after some disclosures the Commander made.

Berbice Chamber of

Commerce and Development Association (BCCDA) President Ramroop Rajnauth had also expressed the Chamber’s concerns over the increase in armed robberies in New Amsterdam. Upper Corentyne Chamber President Abraham Subnauth noted that the Police cannot stop crime and was of the belief that crime was deliberately being used as a political tool by politicians. “It was also being used as a distraction when there are major economic and social disasters in our country... and I say deliberate because we are 15 years into the 21st Century you don’t need rocket science to get 911 response.”

Rajnauth also compared the Upper Corentyne with neighbouring Suriname. “Take a look across the river just 15 minutes away is Nickerie, which is very similar to us here economically, culturally and socially and residents there don’t even need to fence their yard.”

”So something has been definitely going wrong here and I hope our Minister will be able to identify these areas and start to implement some changes.”

Ramjattan during a recent visit to Berbice had told the business community that he did not have all the answers to the crime problem and welcomed suggestions. He, however, noted that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) needed assistance in its fight against crime. “We need for more resources, the Coast Guard needs to be strengthened. There is need for a branch of the Coast Guard to be in Berbice, we will ask the European Union for assistance with that.” Ramjattan told this publication during an exclusive interview. He said there is need to start thinking of a marine wing of the GPF which he feels can help with piracy and other forms of crime plaguing the Berbice community. He noted that many criminals cross the border that belong to Suriname and escape capture.

Eyew tness Double take...

...on reforming UG

Sometimes this Eyewitness thinks we're living in a bubble. That is, we seem cut off from reality and we just repeat nostrums that we probably see on TV - all beamed from up north, of course. But it's also clear that the bubble's also a time warp that keeps us at least a decade behind what's really going on up there. Take all this hullabaloo about UG.

Is anyone following what's happening in Higher Ed in the richest country in the world? It's having a meltdown, that's what. To such an extent that the powers-that-be are seriously rethinking the very meaning of a "university". The bottom line is the U.S. has finally realised they just can't take in every pock-marked post-adolescent who just wants to "expand their minds". Especially at the State's expense - and in areas that are of absolutely no use to the rest of society. Their question is: "How many English grads does the economy need every year?" And the answer is "At least a thousand times than are presently being churned out”.

In Guyana, the equivalent subject at UG is "I.R.". Ask any UG graduate what they’re specialising in and one out three will say "IR"...never "International Relations" - just "IR". Another third will blurt out "Sociology" or "Social Work" ...which are evidently synonymous in Guyana. Ask how many are doing Physics - the basis of Engineering - and you'll get a dumb, vacant stare. If you have a hand with six fingers, you've just about exceeded the requirement for counting Math students.

Now don't think this Eyewitness has anything against the Social Sciences. But why can't those students who can't deal with the "hard" STEM subjects take a stab at history, for instance?? Did you not hear that there are so few students enrolled in the History class, they've downgraded it to a Diploma level? No wonder the head history lecturer's on the picket line! If more Guyanese did history, maybe we won't be repeating the mistakes of the "Independence" generation as we seem determined to do right now.

But seriously folks, this Eyewitness would advise the new Education Minister not to be stampeded into making wholesale changes before taking a good look at what skills this country really needs, versus what UG spews out. We're promised that finally oil will be gushing from below our oceans - but do we have any petroleum engineers who're going to take change for our benefit?

Isn't this what UG should be ensuring? We bet if they do, they'll get all the funding they need. From private interests, even.

...on one saviour

Without much ado, one applicant for the job of VC at UG has been shunted aside and another one seems to've gotten the inside position at the starting pole. We're talking about the world famous AFC professor Daziel Samad and the merelyn US famous PNC's (?) poster boy Ivelaw Griffith. Samad fought the appointment of the threatened incumbent but is now suffering from the effects of the "loose ships sink ships" doctrine.

Griffith, on the other hand, an expert on Caribbean Security who was brought in by the U.S. Government earlier this year to "orient" our parliamentarians, is clearly the right man at the right time. Is it happenstance or enemy action?, as old James Bond would ask. But Griffith has one thing going for him - experience in dealing with a "hand to mouth" university.

Hired only two years ago...he just couldn't bring the enrolment rates up and lecturers' benefits down, to keep his college viable.

Can he do better at UG, which is just as broke.

...on Accord

One fellow asked "So what if the letter of the Cummingsburg Accord is broken? It's the spirit that counts." What spirit?

The Accord's so dead, the best they can can talk about now is its "jumbie"! RIP.

B Division (Berbice)

Commander Christopher Griffith

Jai Hao Supermarket was robbed on Saturday

2 am curfew will do nothing to stop crime – Rohee

Former Home Affairs

Minister Clement Rohee said he does not support the initiative taken by Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan to have night clubs close their doors by 02:00h , expressing that that move will do nothing to curb the “spike” in crime over the last couple of weeks.

What is needed he proffered, was an anti-crime plan by Government and more consultations and involvement of a wide crosssection of stakeholders, including a number of other Government Ministries.

President David Granger on Tuesday met with his top security officers, including Ramjattan at his office to craft a plan to address the issue.

mensions.

alone cannot fight this social ill”, Rohee said.

Government last week announced that it was moving to impose the 2:00 am (02:00h) curfew on bars. In light of the alarming upsurge in crime, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan had said he believed that the late opening of bars and nightclubs was significantly contributing to the crimes and acts of violence being perpetuated.

The move by the Ministry has caused a ruckus within the local entertainment industry with local promoters, nightclub proprietors and other key stakeholders

in complete uproar over the situation. According to media reports, stakeholders are arguing that the imposition of the curfew will not help solve the crime situation.

However, Ramjattan has insisted that the Government must go ahead with this measure. Meanwhile, Rohee said with the reported increase in murders for the first half of 2015, there still needs to be a distinction between the kinds of murders. The June report by the Guyana Police Force showed that there were more domestic murders. “I have always been clamouring for the distinc-

tion in murders, murders of passion and crime. The media refrained from making the distinction about disorderly murders etc.

“I have noticed Mr Ramjattan, who was one of the most vocal persons in Parliament and who had all the solutions. I anticipated that when they walked into office and the various state houses that they would all have the blueprint in their hands and would know what to do”, Rohee said of Ramjattan’s failure to control the situation.

“He is saying that this thing is overwhelming,” Rohee said.

“We live in a relaxed society, not like in other parts of the world like in the Middle East. What you’re doing is imposing a curfew on people”.

Asked to comment on the rising crime situation and what could be done to address it, Rohee stressed that the situation is a very complex one that has to be looked at from different di-

“I do not support the imposition of the 2’0 clock deadline by Ramjattan. I never supported it while I was Minister. This country is a very opened and relaxed country, with a culture we share with other Caribbean people. I have never noticed during my tenure that bars and clubs remaining open after 2 am, led to any spike in crime”, Rohee said, noting that there is no scientific data that anyone could provide that could prove this.

“In this sense, what is needed is not only an anticrime plan. Fighting crime is part of violence prevention. It is part of fighting violence which manifests itself in various forms. We need the Ministries of Social Services, Culture Youth and Sport, Foreign Affairs and the NDC’s and RDC’s involved. It is a multifaceted issue and you have to have a comprehensive approach to the matter. That’s why we always say that the Police

“Bagiee” wanted for murder of New Amsterdam man

Investigating ranks of the Guyana Police Force on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for a New Amsterdam, Berbice man who is wanted for questioning in a murder investigation.

Twenty-one-yearold Gariban Ali, called “Bagiee”, is wanted in relation to the murder of Patrick Boodie, which occurred on April 15, 2015, at Levi Dam, New Amsterdam, Berbice. Ali was last known to have resided at Levi Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.

The Police are asking anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Ali to contact the Police on telephone numbers 2256411, 225-8196, 333-2191,

333-2151 to 3, and 911 or at the nearest Police station. Persons can be assured that all information will be treated with strict confidence.

Boodie, 38, of Levi Dam, Mount Sinai, was killed during a confrontation with some men at Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam. He initially sustained several chops about his body before he was fatally shot.

According to reports, Boodie and his brother had cleared a piece of land next to a fenced area owned by a man known as John. After clearing the land, they lit a fire which apparently spread to John’s place and he became angry.

Boodie went into John’s yard to investigate and as he pushed his head into the yard, he was chopped. He then shouted for his brother who came running to his assistance, but he too was attacked and chopped several times about the body. Boodie fell into a shallow drain and as he was getting out, he was shot. The shooter is said to be the brother of John.

Several other persons were injured in the incident. The injured men are Boodie’s brother, Jason Nicholas, 28, a mason and taxi driver, and bystander

Calvin Charles, also called Gavin. Charles, a miner, is said to have witnessed part of the incident and moments before being shot in the arm, he tried to make peace. Residents had related that there was a fight, with the now dead man attacking John with a pitchfork while his brother used a cutlass to attack John. According to the residents, it was at this point that John’s brother came on the scene and began shooting.

Reports are that John has since gone into hiding, although he was said to have suffered serious injuries. A second man is also being sought in connection with Boodie death.

Wanted: Gariban Ali called “Bagiee”

Dead: Patrick Boodie

Former Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee

PPP/C baulks at Bulkan’s Nov LGE deadline

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has dubbed as “comical and nonsensical”, the comments made Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan, that Government could be ready for Local Government Elections (LGE) by November this year.

During his address at a parliamentary sitting almost two weeks ago, Bulkan made the proposal, noting that its realisation was dependent on the go ahead by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

GECOM’s Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield had later told Guyana Times that the Minister had not yet contacted the Commission to discuss his proposal.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the PPP/C Clement Rohee, addressing journalists at his party’s press conference said Bulkan is fully aware of the realities that would prevent any such election from happening this year. “He is throwing dust in the eyes of the electorate by making them believe that the [A Partnership For National Unity+Alliance For Change] APNU+AFC coalition Administration

is sticking to its first 100day commitment by holding the long overdue elections before the end of this year... Compounding the situation further is the need for GECOM to finalise the boundaries of each of the 71

NDC’s and to ensure that the electors in each of the legally demarcated NDC’s are properly registered to vote. In addition, there are certain non assented bills that must be brought back to the National Assembly for passage. Then there is the preparation of over 500 digital ballot papers for each of the six municipalities that must be printed. Not to men-

tion those for the 71 NDC’s”, Rohee told journalists on Monday.

Rohee recalled that back in November last year, People’s National Congress Commissioner Vincent Alexander had said that GECOM would need at least six months to deal with LGE. He said a calculation of the six-month period began when Government announced that it wanted elections to be held. “This means that since Government wants [LGE] elections in November, according to the six-month need, Local Government Elections will be held in May of 2016”.

He said that with the 2015 budget calculated to be presented in August, and considering all the implications of the Parliamentary recess, the nation should be expecting the elections to be held in the second half of next year. “All of this is contingent on information provided to GECOM as regards to the candidates contesting the elections in the municipalities and the NDC’s”. The party said it remains ready to contest the elections as provided for in the new laws whenever enacted. However, it restated its position as regards contesting any elec-

tion with Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally at the helm as “he cannot be trusted”.

Rohee said considerations must also be given to the fact that an election petition initiated by his party is soon to be heard in the High Court. The petition, according to him calls for a number of irregularities to be remedied, before another election is held in Guyana. “This is a legitimate expectation of the PPP. The party has demanded certain reforms of GECOM, including the replacement of the current Chairman and a totally revamped machinery of GECOM, starting with the recruitment of its key and critical staff”, he informed. It suggests too that the secretariat fall under the purview and command of Commissioners and that polling day staff be properly vetted while Returning, Deputy Returning and Presiding Officers must be acceptable to the Commission and its Commissioners, and the rules under which they conduct their duties be reviewed.

“There must be some internationalisation of some of the key posts in GECOM’s operational arrangement. Based on all that needs to happen, it appears that local government will be held until next year. We are ready to take part in the elections once they are called. We have a number of issues on the table. We have to look at our participation with the complexities that are on the table. We have to look at it with the dynamics”, Rohee further stated.

And a child shall lead them

Satiricus was all distraught. What had the world come to? He had to get out of the back-street-bar by 2:00 am? Why! That was madness! What would he tell his wife? It was now going on twenty-two years he'd been married and he'd never come home before dayclean on a Saturday night. She was sure to think he was a loser like that Gildharie fellow down the street, who couldn't hold his drinks and had to be dragged home at midnight.

How would she hold her head up with her friends when they "talked name" at the village market? Now the girls would be smirking at HER! Satiricus would never be allowed to forget this. Satiricus was particularly upset that he'd been betrayed by one of his own. He's been assured that Rum Jhaat was a card-carrying member of "Lushes United". Satiricus has seen him with his own two eyes, crawling home at dayclean. Now he was going to break up Satiricus’ home - and the homes of so many men across the length and breadth of Guyana. Oh woe!!

Then there was the question of whether folks would be able to break the habit formed over decades. By 2:00 am, fellas were just getting up a head of steam to make a move on the dance floor. This helped them to sober up a bit before crawling home. How would he be able to tell his wife that he could "drink like a man"?

But now Satiricus glimpsed that liberation was at hand. And it came from the mouth of a babe! It was the son of that old fighter for the downtrodden Rum-Ka-Run who provided the rallying cry that Satiricus knew would return things to the good old days of "Rum Till Ah Die at Dayclean". Young Ram-Ka-Run pointed out that making God fearing folks stop drinking at 2:00 am was the first step in the journey towards tyranny and dictatorship.

First you had to see your wife's disappointed face before dayclean, then what next? Expropriation of all private property?Satiricus knew that he had to join this movement - led as it was by this precocious child. But wasn't it a child who'd pointed out the President had on no clothes? Nah... that was some spoilsport who claimed that the President only had one black Shirt-Jac.

Anyhow Satircus had his slogan for confronting this Road to Serfdom: "Give me Daybreak, or give me death!!"

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan

PPP/C concerned about Maduro’s diplomatic shift … deems actions a “serious development”

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Clement Rohee said while the decision by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to recall his Ambassador to Guyana was a serious development, it was not strange for Governments that have bilateral diplomacy make such decisions.

During his address to his Parliament on Monday evening, President Maduro announced that he was recalling Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana for consultation amid mounting tensions over their disputed border. Maduro said that he also is initiating a comprehensive review of relations with the much smaller Guyana and reducing the size of Venezuela’s embassy here.

The General Secretary of the main political Opposition was asked to pronounce on the move. Rohee said “with anyone who is involved in bilateral diplomacy, it happens all over the world, countries have tensions among themselves, and they would recall their Ambassadors for consultations…. Whether it is a recall for consultation.

In bilateral diplomacy these things happen all the time. Don’t want to dismiss it, but think it is a serious development which I assume Government and us have noted. Let’s keep our fingers crossed to see what will emanate from those actions”, he said in response.

A potentially rich oil discovery in waters off the northern coast of South America has rekindled the border dispute that stretches back to the 19th century. “Venezuela is coming under new forms of assault and aggression,” Maduro told the Parliament. “This is a grave, dangerous situation that we must combat with national unity.”

Venezuela, which has one of the world’s largest oil reserves, has long claimed a significant chunk of Guyana, including a large marine

No date yet for ruling in Presidential term limit case

Almost one month after acting Chief Justice Ian Chang deferred the ruling on the motion filed to challenge the presidential two-term limit, no new date has been set for the muchanticipated decision.

Back in February, civilian citizen Cedric Richardson had filed a motion, challenging the constitutionality of the two-term limit which was imposed on Guyanese Presidents since 2001. Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall and former Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman were named defendants in the matter.

Following responses filed by Attorneys representing the Plaintiff and the defendants, the parties had to lay over written submissions. Attorney Shaun Allicock, who is representing Richardson, and Deputy Solicitor General of the AG Chambers Prithima Kissoon along with Attorney Roysdale Forde for Trotman, have submitted written arguments on the matter.

Justice Chang was expected to hand down a ruling on May 12, however, amid the post-election tension, the matter was not heard. About a month later, on June 12,

the matter was called but the Chief Justice further deferred the ruling. He is expected to issue a notice to the parties with the next date of the matter, which barring any further deferrals will be for ruling.

Guyana Times was made to understand that although some “issues” have arisen, they do not affect the case. According to a source close to the case, the Chief Justice does not seem prepared to hand down a ruling on the matter.

Consequently, this newspaper was also informed that former President Bharrat

2001, passed by a two-third majority in the National Assembly that altered Article 90 of the Constitution, “curtails and restricts the sovereign and democratic rights and freedom as a qualified elector to elect the person of former President (Bharrat) Jagdeo as the Executive President of Guyana”.

Richardson contends that the Act diminishes and reduces the level of democracy enjoyed by the electorate prior to the alteration and, therefore, required for its legal validity, the holding of a referendum of the people for such alteration. Guyana’s

Jagdeo, who is rumoured to be the elected leader of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), is reportedly awaiting the decision of the case before he can make a decision on whether to take up the position as Leader of the Opposition.

In the writ filed on February 2, by 50-year-old Richardson, of Lot 4 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, it is pointed out that Act No 17 of

Constitution, upon passing of the Act, states that a person elected as President after the year 2000 is eligible for reelection only once.

The Constitution further states that a person who acceded to the presidency after 2000 and served therein for a single occasion for not less than such a period as may be determined by the National Assembly is eligible for election as President only once.

area where ExxonMobil recently announced it made a significant oil discovery. Venezuela issued a decree soon after that announcement, extending its territorial claims farther out into the Atlantic to encompass the area where the discovery was made.

Guyana denounced the decree as a threat to regional peace and said it would formally ask the United Nations to intervene. UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon has offered to me-

diate. Last week Ban Kimoon offered his good offices to overcome the situation.

Maduro has increasingly lashed out at countries he paints as hostile, while he struggles with multiple crises at home, including the world’s highest inflation, a soaring homicide rate and approval ratings languishing in the 20 per cent range.

On Monday, President David Granger had rebuffed Venezuela’s sincere efforts to open diplomatic talks. The dispute stems from an 1899 court ruling that required Venezuela to relinquish an undeveloped but resource-rich jungle territory called the Essequibo that constitutes about two-thirds of Guyanese territory. Venezuela contends the ruling was invalid, and many official maps still describe the Essequibo as Venezuelan territory. Guyana says Venezuela pledged to abide by the rul-

ing, but later reneged.

On Monday, Maduro had said that Guyana’s President David Granger had rebuffed Venezuela’s sincere efforts to open diplomatic talks. But he ruled out the possibility of war with Guyana, and any armed conflict over the dispute.

“We are victims of dispossession. I say this to our friends and also to our enemies: No one will ever get Venezuela to renounce her historical rights to the Essequibo,” Maduro told the Parliament. From Georgetown, President David Granger said Guyana will continue commercial and cultural relations with Venezuela, despite heightened tension with Caracas over territorial claims. He had gone to the Caricom Heads of Government summit in Barbados last week where he solicited the solidarity of his regional counterparts, to which they did.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

President David Granger

Chief Justice Ian Chang

Former President and PPP/C Executive Member Bharrat Jagdeo

Govt condemns Maduro for recalling envoy

The Guyana Government has condemned Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s decision to recall his Ambassador to Guyana for consultations and to comprehensively review bilateral relations between the two countries over the simmering controversy regarding Essequibo which Caracas has illegally claimed.

President David Granger is quoted in El Universal, a Venezuelan newspaper, as saying that instead of being more friendly and conciliatory by accepting the recent verdict of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Maduro is behaving in a manner that only seeks to raise tensions and aggravate the already fragile relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Addressing the Venezuelan National Assembly on Monday, Maduro pointed out that his country was being “attacked” daily by his Guyanese counterpart. He specifically referred to a recent statement by local Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, which he said was full of insults, contempt and racism towards his country. “I decided to call queries to the Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Guyana (Margarita Arratia), to reduce the size and the level of our embassy in Guyana and have ordered the Foreign Ministry [to do] a comprehensive review of relations with the current Government of Guyana,” he told the Parliament.

Back in May, the

Venezuelan President issued a proclamation claiming Guyana’s territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean off the Essequibo Coast, covering the area where United States oil giant ExxonMobil recently confirmed finding “significant” oil reserves. The Granger Administration has since secured the support of several regional and international organisations and nations in the Caribbean and beyond. Only recently, the Guyanese President led a delegation to the Caricom Heads of Government Summit, where he garnered the support of the regional body. “Guyana is on the side of law and are victims of aggression,” Granger was quoted as saying in the Venezuelan press, while expressing his disappointment that Maduro has decided to confront his government over an official award adopted in 1899 that established the borders between the two countries which Venezuela is contend-

ing is “null and void”.

Meanwhile, Minister Greenidge has also suggested that Venezuela take up its issues with Caricom. Greenidge told reporters Caricom Member States have realised and are concerned about the impact the decree has on their individual territorial rights. The Venezuelan Government, however, withdrew the controversial decree on Tuesday. Efforts to contact a Government official for a comment on this proved futile. Numerous calls made to Foreign Affairs Minister Greenidge, Minister of State Joseph Harmon and even President David Granger went unanswered.

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Rashleigh Jackson commenting on the matter has pointed out that every President has the right to recall their Ambassadors. However, he posited that he hoped Maduro’s decision was not premised on the assumption of aggression against his country. Nevertheless, Jackson went on to say that maybe the Venezuela President was recalling his Ambassador to brief her on the fact that he has withdrawn the controversial decree. “I hope he was recalling the Ambassador to send her back on a mission of peace. I hope it was for her to strengthen relations with Guyana, but I hope going forward that all outstanding matters between the two countries to be settled peacefully and according to international laws,” the former Foreign Affairs Minister posited.

Venezuela issues new decree

After much tension between the two neighbouring countries surrounding the issuance of Decree 1787, which sought to claim most of Guyana’s territorial waters off of the Essequibo Coast, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has withdrawn the controversial proclamation, but has replaced it with another decree.

This new dictum does not have any defining coordinates, a Venezuelan news entity reported. It poses no decision on land issues; but instead intends to support and justify the actions of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) in defending the newly created Integrated Defence Maritime Zones and Island (Zodimain).

According to Venezuelan reports, the Ministries of Defence and Interior are empowered to implement the decree, which was published in the Official Gazette Number 40,696 on Tuesday. However, Article 20 of the new decree specifically emphasised that it aims to set boundaries, which has to do only with activities related to defence.

“This decree is to set no boundaries, establish boundaries, nor any demarcation process in any way. Its sole purpose and exclusive range of concerns are protection against threats, risks and other vulnerabilities, so that does not mean any ruling on issues concerning territorial or alien by nature,” read one of the articles.

President Maduro on Monday, while addressing the National Assembly was reported saying “I have decided to raise the content of this decree 1787 the Council of State and the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), and meanwhile, taking the

doctrinal criteria, constitutional, issue a new decree replaces in all its parts”.

Venezuelan newspaper, The Universal, has reported the country’s Head of State saying that the new 1859 decree sets all constitutional legal and doctrinal elements, creates the zone of integral defence and established the Armed Forces’ tasks in all maritime areas of our country due and legally established.

In May, Venezuela issued a decree claiming most of Guyana’s continental shelf. A map to this effect indicates Venezuela’s sovereignty of all waters within the 200-mile range, hence blocking Guyana’s access to resources in that area of the Atlantic Ocean.

This is the second decree expressing a claim to Guyana’s territorial waters. The first was issued by President Raul Leoni, 47 years ago in July 1968, and claimed “sovereignty” over a 12-mile strip of Guyana’s continental shelf along the Essequibo Coast.

The Maduro decree was issued exactly one week following the discovery of oil in Guyana’s waters by United States oil company, ExxonMobil. Following the discovery of hydrocarbons, the oil and gas company on May 20, reported the discovery of oil-bearing rock in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.

This latest action by the neighbouring country comes in the face of President Maduro’s upset over oil exploration and concessions granted by Guyana to the US oil and gas giant, to explore some 23,000 square kilometers of the Stabroek Block. The new decree covers the location where the drilling exercise is being conducted.

Earlier this year when

ExxonMobil was about to drill an exploratory well in the area, neighbouring Venezuela objected, stating that the drilling area is part of its territorial sea. The Maduro Government then wrote the Executive of ExxonMobil to cease all drilling activities.

However, backed by Guyana and its home-based country, as well as other international organisations, the US-based company went ahead with the drilling. Guyana has since requested that Venezuela not interfere in its development activities, broadening the territorial rift between the neighbouring countries.

Venezuela has repeatedly laid claim to the area being explored, ignoring an 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award, which was declared as the full and final settlement of the boundary between the two South American nations. With Venezuela’s obdurate insistence on its position, Guyana is considering judicial settlement of the boundary. Since the issuance of the decree, Guyana has strongly condemned this aggression against its sovereignty and has secured the support of several regional and international nations as well as organisations.

These include the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, the Commonwealth, and more recently the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

In the meanwhile, only last week Venezuelan Vice President Jorge Arreaza promised a Caricom Heads of Government meeting that his Government has agreed to forge an “amicable resolution” with Guyana on the border controversy in the near future, a high ranking Government official had disclosed.

Rockstone residents want better governance system

The need for a better system of governance was among concerns raised by residents of Rockstone, during a ministerial outreach conducted on Sunday by the Indigenous People’s Affairs Ministry.

Indigenous People’s Affairs

Minister Sydney Allicock; Minister within the Ministry, Valerie Garrido-Lowe; Permanent Secretary Vibert Welch; Legal Adviser David James and Adviser on Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mervyn Williams, along with Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn HastingsWilliams comprised the visiting team.

Rockstone, a small community located on the right bank of the Essequibo River, west of Linden, has a population of about 200 people, mostly Amerindians. The community is managed by a Community Development Council (CDC) and a Village Council. For years, this has caused a divide among the residents, amid a controversial proposal for the community to be demarcated and recognised as an Amerindian village. The residents believe that in order for the community to move forward,

it must be agreed whether it will be governed by a Village Council under the Amerindian Act, or a Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) under the Local Democratic Organs Act.

According to Minister Allicock, the issue of land titling and demarcation is one that the new Administration will be prioritising over the next five years, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported. He said that under the previous Administration, a survey on Rockstone was done through the Amerindian Land Titling and Demarcation Project, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Ministry is in the process of reviewing the findings of that report, which will be used to guide the way forward.

Minister Allicock further explained that the Ministry would be working in collaboration with the Communities Ministry in this regard, and would be reviewing lands that were issued by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission.

Greater understanding

Minister Allicock explained that the Councils need to have

a greater understanding of the Acts in order to be properly guided. He said that in order for the community to develop the residents needed to work together with one common agenda. The aim, the Minister noted, is to ensure every citizen, regardless of ethnicity, benefit from the country’s rich resources.

On the issue of governance, Legal Adviser James explained that the CDC did not appear under any law. He explained that under the national law, there were provisions for the protection of the rights of Indigenous peoples. Further, there is the Amerindian Act of 2006 which outlines how indigenous rights

are protected, and, therefore, provides for the establishment of a village council.

However, the residents are asking for protection under the Amerindian Act. James noted that the Act itself outlined what determined a village: it must have over 150 persons living in that area, for at least 25 years before the Act became a reality. Rockstone has become a famous fishing community that annually hosts the Rockstone Fish Festival, a two-day event that brings thousands to the usually quiet riverine community to fish in its teeming waters.

Its tourism potential derived from the fact that it has the very best fishing grounds in Guyana, has a rich population of birds and is a natural habitat for Giant Otters, Howler monkeys, Labbas, Iguanas, Bush Hogs and Black Caimans. Rockstone’s main economic activity is logging, along with the traditional hunting, fishing and farming. The community has a nursery and a primary school, and a village shop. There is also a health centre, and a water system in place along with a bus providing transportation for children to school.

Residents of Rockstone gathering at the community’s benab for a meeting

Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

GGDMA not consulted on mining lands caps

….matter to be discussed at members’ meeting today

The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association (GGDMA) said it was not consulted by Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman on placing caps on land for miners and has planned to address the issue at a meeting with its members today.

President of the Association, Patrick Harding informed Guyana Times that he does not believe that lands should be withheld from miners, especially if a company has the necessary financial, technical and human resources available to invest and expand. When asked if he believed that this would lead to repossession of lands from big concessionaires, he indicated that legally, this would be impossible and hardly likely to occur. Harding also expressed his uncertainty as to what direction the Ministry of

GGDMA President Patrick Harding

Governance intends to take in relation to mining.

In a recent interview with another newspaper, Minister of Governance and Patrimony Raphael Trotman stated that “caps will have to be placed on how much land any one per-

son or entity can access”. He also mentioned that the Government will not tolerate favouritism among miners and companies. The Minister emphasised the need for transparency and explained that several steps will be taken to reform the mining sector in that sense. However, he failed to state what impact such measures will have on the mining sector.

Guyana Times also contacted Alfro Alphonso, prominent investor in the mining sector, and member of the GGDMA, who stated that Trotman’s intentions are confusing and that the Association doesn’t understand the move made by the Minister. He explained that placing caps on lands for miners might affect both foreign and local potential investors as well as those who already possess concessions in

First Lady urges Success Elementary grads to help develop Guyana

Success Elementary, the private institution that came out as the star school at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) examinations, securing the first and second spots, held a grand graduation ceremony at the National Cultural Centre their students on Tuesday.

First Lady Sandra Granger addressed the graduating class.

After thanking Sir Wilfred Success, the school’s Director, for allowing her the opportunity to be part of the gathering for the school’s fifth prize-giving ceremony, she congratulated the 2015 class for completing primary education.

She acknowledged the hard work of parents, relatives and friends who supported and encouraged the young minds who have already made it thus far.

The First Lady praised the students and told them that they have excelled because of their efforts and dedication to their studies although she knew that some of them would have perhaps rather being caught up in a game or two or some other form of entertainment.

She expressed hope that they have enjoyed every bit of knowledge that they have absorbed, which she hoped would stay with them throughout their lives. Mrs Granger told the graduating class that the country needed educated and dedicated people and they

were among the young people who could contribute to making Guyana great. She added that the country’s young people were the hope of the country, noting that over 50 per cent of the population is below the age of 24 and sadly, many of them were unemployed and were no longer even looking for work.

She stressed that some persons have been forced to drop out of school, because their parents could not afford it or they had to stay at home to oversee younger siblings while parents were out trying to make ends meet. She stated that some persons were even encouraged to believe that life was better on the street.

Mrs Granger told the graduates that their achievement was remarkable and must be commended. She mentioned that students needed to become equipped to cope with life in the 21st century and they needed not only to be articulate but able to communicate using modern technology. She told them that they needed to be aware of the world around them and the vast opportunities for growth and development.

In concluding, she said Guyana was a blessed country with a wealth of human and natural resources and as a country, we needed to develop the energy sector, fisheries, and agricultural sector for food

the country. He also posited that whether small miners could compensate for the revenues lost by limiting lands distributed to large companies and big investors is to be determined. Alphonso also indicated that although the GGDMA and the Ministry of Governance met shortly before Minister Trotman’s revelation, the Association was not informed on the matter.

Up to 2013, mining represented 12.1 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and remains one of the most reliable sources of revenue for the country. This doesn’t include the revenues generated by businesses specialising in the sale of mining equipment and machinery, which also stand to suffer should big investments in the mining sector decline.

Only recently, the GGDMA expressed dissatisfaction with the level of attention being paid to the industry by the new Administration and had cited then the cancellations of two meetings with the Head of State. The miners

were eventually able to meet with Trotman.

“The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association is dissatisfied with the attention given to the gold and diamond mining industry by the Government. This industry remains the leading contributor of foreign earnings; a major source of employment; the largest purchaser of machinery, spares, and supplies; and plays an important role in the development of the hinterland and Guyana’s economy,” the group had said in a release.

The Association said that the mining industry remained in crisis and listed a number of issues it would like to address with the Government. The GGDMA said it would like to address among other things the completion of the draft Investment Development Agreement (IDA) to include additional items – spares, etc; incentives to the mining industry such as a 50 per cent reduction in rentals for small mining properties; reduction in royalty and maintenance

of hinterland roads and airstrips, and the establishment of new roads for greater access to new mining lands. Additionally, miners are demanding increased attention to public security within the hinterland, noting the high incidence of crime and are also calling for stricter monitoring by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission especially in the areas of safety and illegal mining activities. The miners also listed some of the ongoing challenges facing them which include falling gold prices, improvement in gold recovery technology, high operation and maintenance costs, high fuel costs, high rentals for mineral properties, increasing prices for spares and machinery, limited available lands for serious and genuine miners, disparities in concessions between foreign-based and local miners, increasing violent crime in mining sector, slow processing of work permits for Brazilian miners and largely impassable hinterland roads.

Baramita child dies after scorpion sting

Aseven-year-old child of the North West District community of Baramita, Region One (Barima-Waini) lost her life tragically on Monday morning after she was stung by a scorpion. According to reports, the child was stung while playing in a bush in the nearby dense forest.

security as well as build the export market. She stressed the need to develop Guyana’s mining sector while paying keen attention to doing so sustainably, so that the people of Guyana could reap the vast benefits of the mineral resources for many years to come.

She stated that she hoped these young achievers would be aware of the vast scope for their growth and development in Guyana, and told them that they could become anything they wanted to be if they kept education as their main focus. She urged them to enjoy learning about books and technology and the events that shape our lives. Above all, she urged them to enjoy the road that was now ahead of them and expressed hope that the careers of their choice would be at the end of this journey.

Just over 15,000 students from across Guyana wrote the NGSA examinations commonly known as Common Entrance. The top student is 11-yearold Solomon Cherai of Success Elementary who gained 530 marks out of the total 535. He will be going to Queen’s College when the new school year begins in September. The number two position went to Shania Eastman who also attends the Success Elementary. The Success Elementary School also gained the number six spot.

The child’s loud screams for help alerted her mother who rushed her to the district hospital in Region One. There, medical officials decided to immediately transfer the child, who was in immense pain, to Georgetown Public Hospital.

The Roraima Medivac was sent to collect the

child, but rain clouds combined with pre-dawn darkness meant visibility was low making it impossible for the pilot to land. The child lost her life around 05:00h. Baramita is 120 miles away from the city.

The child leaves to mourn her parents and four siblings.

First lady, Mrs Sandra Granger poses with NGSA top students of Success Elementary at the institution’s graduation ceremony held at the National Cultural Centre on Tuesday. In photo are: the national top student Solomon Cherai and second place Shania Eastman Afeefah London who came in sixth

Man slain in TT for not choosing gang life

Kevon George was warned by his family to move out of his Chafford Court, Port of Spain, apartment for his own safety in the face of continuing gang violence but he had initially ignored them.

But on Sunday when the place he had called home for close to a year finally became too hostile he packed up most of his belongings to move out. However, before he could accomplish that, gunmen pounced on him and killed him.

According to Police reports, around 23:30h, Chafford Court residents called the police after hearing gunshots. Members of the Port of Spain Task Force responded and found George’s body behind Building B.

Speaking with the media outside the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Monday, George’s father, Don, said his son had moved to the area after returning from Canada about nine months ago.

He added that constant pleas by family for him to move out were unheeded, however, the grieving father said on Sunday evening things changed and his son decided it was time to leave.

“He had packed up to leave and we don’t know like they find out he leaving and they decide to deal with it. Because it have gang thing going on in there and we used to ask him about it all the time and he used to tell me, ‘Kim, no I not involved’

but after last week I don’t know what he heard or saw but he wanted to leave,” his sister Kim Lewis said.

Other relatives told the TT Guardian that George received a text message the night before he was killed telling him to either choose a side in the war or leave the area. George decided to leave and was awaiting transportation to take him to a relative’s home in east Trinidad when he was shot in the neck and face. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

26 workers benefit from Sandals Corporate University scholarships

Anumber of employees from Sandals Grande Antigua and Grand Pineapple Antigua Beach Resort have received scholarships from Sandals Corporate University (SCU) that will allow them to achieve their academic and personal goals.

Twenty-six awardees will be pursuing a number of programmes ranging from CXC subjects to Associate’s degrees at various institutions, a release said.

The awards, which amount to EC$18,400 (US$6800) will fund studies at the Learning Centre, Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute (ABHTI), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Global, and SCU-partner institution American Hospitality and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI).

Awardees from Sandals Grande Antigua were Michael Casimir, Andrew Belgrave, Kofi Massian, Jennifer Benjamin, Desiree

Line Cook at Grand Pineapple Antigua, Ashema Willock, will pursue studies leading to an Associate’s Degree at ABHTI. She accepts her award letter from General Manager Patrick Drake

Corbin, Linneth PeartWestmoreland, Sefra Timothy, Bilinda Bellot, Kandrea Williams, Stacey Hector-Henry, Egress Redman, and Romain Brown.

Those from Grand Pineapple were Ashema Willock, Yansen LaRose, Maria Cummins, Justina Jervier, Joel Roberts, Dahlia Francis, Elsie Charles,

Norline Mohammed, Dennis Richard, Shayne Roberts, Merlisia La-Touche, Barbara Thomas, and Cindy Joseph.

Willock, a Line Cook at Grand Pineapple, said she was thrilled on receiving the news that her full scholarship for an Associate’s Degree at ABHTI was approved. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

FIFA fraud accused now charged in Cayman Islands healthcare fraud case

Disgraced FIFA Vice President and CONCACAF

President Jeffrey Webb, who is already facing charges in soccer’s global bribery scandal, has now been charged in a healthcare fraud case in his native Cayman Islands.

Cayman 27 television reports that Cayman authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Webb and are expected to seek his extradition.

Webb, 50, is currently detained in Switzerland after being arrested and indicted by the FBI last month. He already faces an extradition request from the United

States in relation to the soccer corruption charges brought by the Department of Justice.

As Webb’s legal troubles continue to escalate, he has now been charged by the Cayman Islands AntiCorruption Commission in connection with the ongoing probe into the 2010 award of a card swipe payment system at the Health Services Authority, known as CarePay.

“The Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission can confirm that in connection with the ongoing investigation into the CarePay project, fur-

ther charges have today been laid at Court in relation to Canover Watson, Jeffrey Webb and Miriam Rodriguez,” said a Cayman Islands Anti-Corruption Commission statement on Friday, according to Cayman 27 television’s website.

“A warrant for Mr Webb’s arrest has today been issued. We understand that he is currently being detained by the authorities in Switzerland. It is anticipated that proceedings will be instigated for his extradition to answer these charges,” the statement added.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Pope urges Latin America to find unity through common faith

Pope Francis called on people across Latin America to turn to their common Christian roots as an inspiration to resolve differences when he said Mass for nearly one million Catholics in the Ecuadorean capital on Tuesday.

In his homily, the Argentine pontiff praised the conviction and strength in the “cry for freedom” during the region’s independence struggle from European powers 200 years ago.

“But history tells us that

it only made headway once personal differences were set aside,” the Pope told the crowd gathered at Quito’s Bicentenario Park against the backdrop of the Andean mountains on his third day in Ecuador. He urged the continent’s people to use the Gospel “as a way to unite our hopes, concerns, ideals and even utopian visions.” Tens of thousands of people braved wind and rain to camp out overnight. The weather later changed and the service

took place under a hot sun. Isabel Pavon, 55, came with her two small children, a boy and a girl who held up small wooden crosses. “It is such a joy to be here,” she said, pressed up against a security fence. “He is our pope, the pope of the people.” Pope John Paul II arrived at the same Bicentenario Park when it was an airport 30 years ago. Francis is visiting three of the smallest and poorest nations during a week-long tour of his native South America. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Shaggy says his songs can

change ISIS mindset

In an interview with the Miami Times, reggae star Shaggy said his music, including tracks such as “Boombastic” and “It Wasn’t Me”, is so emotional that Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) would immediately stop carrying out their brutal beheadings if only the songs were pumped into jihadi strongholds.

The 46-year-old Jamaican who served as a United States marine in Iraq during the first Gulf War suggested that Western armies should find a way to pipe his music into ISIS terror camps as a way to inject some emotion into the terror group’s dead-eyed killers.

“If you’re able to cut a man’s head off, you’re sick. But right music evokes emotion. So if they’re listening to Shaggy music or reggae mu-

sic, they’re not going to want to cut somebody’s head off,” he said.

Shaggy contended that there are two things that an individual would do when they listen to reggae music: “You want to get somebody pregnant, or you’re high.”

“High people don’t want to kill nothing; they want to love,” he explained.

“They need to bag some Jamaican weed and distribute it amongst ISIS. I guarantee there won’t be any more wars out there,” the reggae artiste suggested. Shaggy went further to say that if ISIS recruits were to listen some of his songs, they would turn away from terrorism altogether and embrace peace. (Jamaica

South African Minister arrives in Haiti following visit to Suriname

Luwellyn Landers, South Africa’s deputy Minister of international relations and cooperation, arrived in Haiti on Monday after concluding a successful visit to Suriname. While in Suriname, Landers held bilateral discussion with the minister of foreign affairs, Winston Lackin. During the visit to Suriname, the two countries also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on political consultations. The MoU will serve as a framework for the two countries to manage their bilateral relations and will further help

to strengthen diplomatic relations.

The deputy minister also paid a courtesy call on the governor of the Central Bank of Suriname, Gilmore Hoefdraad. The two exchanged views on various pertinent issues and also echoed the need for South

Africa and Suriname to find common areas of cooperation.

Suriname and South Africa have enjoyed cordial reciprocal diplomatic relations since 1995. Suriname was represented in the Global African Diaspora Summit held in South

Africa in 2012. The economy of Suriname is dominated by the mining industry, with exports of oil, gold and alumina accounting for about 85 per cent of its exports. During his visit to Haiti, Landers is expected to hold bilateral discussions with the minister of foreign affairs, Lener Renauld. The deputy minister will also pay a courtesy call on President Michel Martelly. Haiti is the fourth country the deputy minister is visiting during his five nation tour to the Caribbean. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Kevin George (inset) was shot in the neck and face

Observer)

Jamaican artiste Shaggy

Around the World

WHO “unfit for health emergencies”

The Ebola crisis proves the World Health Organisation (WHO) lacks the “capacity and culture” to deal with global health emergencies, says a damning independent report, commissioned by the WHO itself.

The review panel says WHO was too slow to act to get on top of the deadly virus which has now killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa.

And it calls for an urgent overhaul of the organisation.

WHO Director General Margaret Chan admitted in May it had been “overwhelmed” by the Ebola outbreak, saying it “shook this

WHO says it has plans for reform. It has already admitted that it waited too long to declare Ebola a public health emergency of international concern

organisation to its core”.

The disease began spreading in December 2013, but it took until August 2014 for WHO to sound the alarm. By

that point, more than 1000 people had died of the virus.

The death toll now stands at more than 11,000.

According to the report,

WHO lacked a culture of rapid decision-making.

In the early stages of the Ebola crisis, messages were sent about the seriousness of the situation, but these “either did not reach senior leaders or senior leaders did not recognise their significance”.

WHO was also criticised for failing to keep Governments and the public up to speed about the extent and severity of the outbreak.

But the review praised WHO for playing a critical role in pushing forward work to find new treatments and cures for Ebola. And it said WHO should be given the job of leading future health emergency responses. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Russian Police launch ‘safe selfie’ guide in light of deaths

Russian Police have launched a campaign urging people to take safer selfies after about 100 were injured and dozens died this year in gruesome accidents while striking high-risk poses.

Tuesday’s warning comes after a 21-year-old woman in Moscow accidentally shot herself in the head in May while taking a selfie while holding a pistol. She suffered head inju-

ries but survived. That was just one in a string of recent selfie-related accidents.

“A cool selfie could cost you your life,” the Interior Ministry warned in a new leaflet packed with tips such as “a selfie with a weapon kills”.

In January, two young men blew themselves up in the Ural Mountains while taking a selfie holding a hand grenade with the pin pulled

out. The mobile phone with the selfie survived as a record.

In May, a teenager in the Ryazan region died while attempting to take a selfie as he climbed on a railway bridge and accidentally came into contact with live wires.

“Unfortunately, we have noted recently that the number of accidents caused by lovers of self-photography is constantly increasing,” said Yelena Alexeyeva, an aide to

the Interior Minister.

“Since the beginning of the year we are talking about some 100 cases of injuries for sure.” Selfies have also led to “dozens of deadly accidents,” Alexeyeva added.

“The problem really exists and leads to very unfortunate consequences.”

The new campaign includes leaflets, a video and online advice on the Ministry’s website. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

6 powers, Iran to continue nuclear talks past deadline

Iran and major powers gave themselves at least until Friday to negotiate an agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme, but a source from one of the powers said on Tuesday they had to wrap up in the next 48 hours.

“We are continuing to negotiate for the next couple of days,” EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said outside the hotel where the marathon talks between Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States are taking place.

be met. But despite a push in the past few days, they made clear again that they still needed more time.

“We’re frankly more concerned about the quality of the deal than we are about the clock, though we also know that difficult decisions won’t get any easier with time,” Harf said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Greece faces last chance to stay in eurozone as cash runs out

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras launched a desperate bid to win fresh aid from sceptical creditors at an emergency euro zone summit on Tuesday, before his country’s banks run out of money.

But German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on arrival there was still no basis for reopening negotiations with Athens.

“It is not a matter of weeks but of a few days” to save Greece from collapse, Merkel told reporters.

With Greek banks down to their last few days of cash and the European Central Bank tightening the noose on their funding, Tsipras tried to convince the bloc’s other 18 leaders to authorise a new loan swiftly.

Merkel and French President Francois Hollande said after conferring on Monday in Paris that the door was still open to a deal to save

Greece from plunging into economic turmoil and possibly having to ditch the euro.

But some of Athens’ 18 partners in Europe’s common currency vented exasperation at five years of crisis wrangling with Greece. Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite complained: “With the Greek Government it is every time manana.”

Merkel, under pressure in Germany to cut Greece loose, made clear it was up to Tsipras to present convincing proposals after Athens spurned tax rises, spending cuts and pension and labour reforms that were on the table before its 240 billion euro (US$262.7 billion) bailout expired last week.

Eurozone Finance Ministers complained that their new Greek colleague Euclid Tsakalotos had brought no new proposals to a preparatory meeting before the summit. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Bomb attack in Nigeria kills 25

Abomb attack has killed at least 25 people and wounded 32 others in northern Nigeria’s Zaria city, the State Governor has said.

A suspected suicide bomber targeted civil servants at a Government building in the city, witnesses said.

Emergency workers have rushed to the scene to help evacuate the wounded.

Militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which often targets northern Nigeria, has stepped up attacks since President Muhammudu Buhari took office in May.

The group has not yet com-

mented on the latest attack. It came a day after Police Chief Solomon Arase announced new measures to curb the rise in bombings. They include: banning street trading and hawking in the capital, Abuja and strengthening security at all mosques and churches countrywide. Witnesses in Zaria said people including primary school teachers had been queuing up seeking employment under Buhari’s Administration when the bomb detonated in Zaria’s Sabon Gari district. (Excerpt from BBC News)

The spokeswoman for the US delegation, Marie Harf, said the terms of an interim deal between Iran and the six would be extended through Friday to give negotiators a few more days to finish their work.

The negotiators had set Tuesday as a deadline when it became clear last week that a June 30 deadline would not

India: Woman says set on fire by Police in Uttar Pradesh

Awoman in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has died after alleging that she was set on fire by two Policemen inside a Police station after she refused to pay a bribe.

Neetu Dwivedi, 40, told a Magistrate before her death that the Policemen asked her for 100,000 rupees (US$1578).

She had gone to the Police station to free her husband, who had been detained for

questioning in a crime. The accused Policemen deny the charge and say she tried to immolate herself.

The Policemen have been suspended and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has ordered an inquiry into the case.

The incident took place on Monday in Barabanki town, senior Police official Abdul Hameed told BBC Hindi.

Dwivedi, who sustained 80

per cent burns, was admitted to hospital in the state capital, Lucknow, where she died on Tuesday morning.

In her dying declaration before a Magistrate and reporters, she alleged that she was abused and humiliated by her attackers when she refused to pay the bribe.

Dwivedi’s son, who is a journalist with a Hindi newspaper, has said he wants justice. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Both sides at the Vienna talks say that more time is needed to thrash out a deal [EPA]

What the young people say about the spike in crime

Ameer Samad

“I believe the Police Force should be somewhat upgraded, not to be really strict, but enough to keep watch over citizens, eg neighbourhood patrol squads. I also think Police Officers should take their job more seriously. In Guyana, you never really hear about compliments to the Police Force; we have heard of them receiving equipment (vehicles and so on), but not any genuine “hey good job” to the Policemen.”

Delonte De Clou

“Well, in Guyana, as I see it we have a long history with crime and criminality starting with the people from the very top (politicians, entrepreneurs etc).

The people that are seen as models for the society are the very persons who are orchestrating criminal acts. Better role models are needed to guide Guyanese, but, in terms of legislation, I think stricter gun control measures should be implemented because Guyana has a serious problem with firearm related deaths (execution murders, etc), once citizens have less accessibility to firearms less deaths by firearm is the likely outcome. When you look at place like Scotland and England who have strict gun control measures we see less instances of gun violence and crime as a whole.”

Analecia Foster

“We need to find out the factors that are causing the increase in crime. Is it a breakdown in values and morals in the home? Poverty? Unemployment? Only when we know what’s causing the problem can we formulate an effective solution. However, I think that the Government should push education more. Formulate programmes that reintegrate school dropouts into the education system especially ... give them a second chance to be somebody worthwhile because as Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”.”

Khamisi Slowe

“Ok...firstly, why Granger release them 60 criminals is beyond me, but anyways...I believe the Police Force should have more armed patrols around day and night (not just in the city) and increase the sentence time even for simple acts of crime. Oh and the curfew they should be putting out should not be on clubs and bar, it should be on limers and idlers who are walking around after 12 in the night without a cause....also they can place better (working) security cameras on the road at least that can help ketch these crooks faster.”

Ashraf Dabie

“...Guyana has one of the highest records in crime and these statistics alarmingly increase over the past few months.... One suggestion is to reduce the inadequacy of the Guyana Police Force. Yet again, another negative feature Guyana is renowned for is its Policemen collecting bribes....Therefore, the Government should implement strict admission requirement for persons entering the Force, ensuring an outcome of dedicated protectors and guardians of this nation and its people. If the Police are really interested in their jobs and not just their benefits, they will heed warning signs, respond briskly to emergency calls and adequately penalise offenders of the law rather than letting them off at the offer of a bribe. These simple steps can and will go a far way in curbing the increasing number of murders in Guyana.”

Granger holds meeting with Guyanese in Barbados

Guyana’s new President David Granger says his country and the Caribbean can build one of the strongest economies in the globe if the necessary integration becomes a reality.

“We need that integration movement because if we are divided, people are going to pick us off one by one. If we are divided, people are going to separate us and prevent us from being strong,” he said. Granger was speaking at a breakfast at Bubba’s Sports Bar Sunday morning to allow scores of

Guyanese to meet and greet the president who was elected in May, and was in Barbados to participate in the just-concluded CARICOM summit.

“We in Guyana have sufficient land that if every single Caribbean country was put together and put into Guyana, we still have space left over. “We are going to take control of our resources, our timber, our gold, our diamonds, our bauxite, our petroleum and make sure that Guyanese will never have to be poor again,” Granger said. However, he noted the now

revitalised border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela had implications for the Guyanese economy. He also promised Guyanese living in Barbados better representation and better opportunities for them to invest in their homeland. Earlier, loud cheers and applause rang out as Granger arrived at Bubba’s. Supporters waved Guyanese flags, while others wore T-shirts bearing the flag and the A Partnership for National Unity logo. A smiling Granger said to them: “It looks like Georgetown.”

Granger had attended a church service at St Matthias Anglican Church before heading to the restaurant where he had breakfast with consul general to Barbados Michael Brotherson, members of the Guyanese Association of Barbados (GAB) and other Guyanese supporters. One of the organisers, GAB founding member Joyann HooperBeckles, dubbed it Breakfast With The President. She said it was pulled together “in less than 24 hours”. (Barbados Nation)

Kobe Smith

“I believe it is time more armed police patrols be deployed in the communities, where effective, fast and rapid responses are practised. This, I believe, will give reassurance and a sense of safety to citizens, while eradicating banditry and criminality from within the minds of the potential perpetrators.”

IDB provides US$15 million grant for artisan fishing in Haiti

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) today announced it has approved a US$15 million grant for a sustainable artisan-fishing development project in southern Haiti.

Fishing is a key socioeconomic sector in Haiti, generating some 77,000 full-time jobs (52,000 direct and 25,000 indirect positions). Artisan fishing still remains the predominant type of marine fishing in the country and takes place in 420 localities in 9 of the 10 departments. The project seeks to improve artisan fishermen’s productivity and income in the Grand’Anse, Sud and Sud-Est departments by providing improved public services for the fishing sector. These are the most productive departments in terms of fishing and house most of the fishing localities, which has made them a key priority for the government. Additionally, institutionstrengthening and capacity-generation activities will benefit all fishing communities in the country.

The new grant complements other financing sources for the projects, including a US$2.7 million grant from the Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) and US$1.5 million in local funding. The IDB is Haiti’s largest multilateral donor. In the past four years it has provided US$1.263 billion in grants and disbursed more than US$686 million to support the country’s economic recovery and its long-term development investment in areas such as agriculture, water and sanitation, transportation, energy, education and private sector development. The IDB is devoted to improving lives. Established in 1959, the IDB is a leading source oflong-term financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IDB also conducts cutting-edge research and provides policy advice, technical assistance and training to public and private sector clients throughout the region.

Guyanese supporters greeting President David Granger (in shades) as he arrived at Bubba’s Sunday morning

$1B Farfan and Mendes Headquarters opens in Providence

As it continues to expand with the aim of reaching a wider range of customers, the Farfan and Mendes Group of Companies officially opened its Corporate Headquarters and Showroom in Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) at a simple ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday.

The net cost, inclusive of the building and land, amounted to $1 billion; with the cost for the construction of the building being $850 million while the development of the land was an estimated $150 million.

With this bigger and better location, the Farfan and Mendes Group of Company will be offering a wide range of products and services including portable sawmill; woodworking tools and equipment, wire ropes, rigging accessories, industrial hoses, among others, all in one convenient location.

Some of the quality brands the company boasts include Stihl, Viking, Motan, Biro, Delta, Wood-Mizer, CRC, among others at affordable prices.

With this new location, there is more space to facilitate customer parking – a feature which the original Georgetown branch did not posses.

At its headquarters, the parking lot can facilitate up

the timber industry, the wood working industry and the agricultural industry, as well as chemical fogging equipment, power tools, tyres for most types of vehicles, pulling and lifting systems, among others.

With the establishment of Mines Services Limited, the company was able to offer industrial tyre repair and truck wheel alignment, and to manufacture wire rope slings and hydraulic and industrial hose to the specifications of the individual customer.

Limited in 1992 in Providence.

to 60 customers. Also, there is enough space within the compound for trucks to upload and unload their cargo when necessary.

The Farfan and Mendes Group of Company was formed in 1967 when Derek Mendes, a Sales Representative of FT Farfan and Sons Limited in Trinidad, partnered with the Trinidadian Company.

In 1972, the company moved from the rented premises in Harel Street to the Urquhart Street, Cummingsburg location, which is currently the company’s Georgetown branch.

As it continued to expand its line of products and services, the company opened its subsidiary Mines Services

Thereafter, a third outlet was commissioned on High Street, Georgetown, to meet the growing demand for its alternative energy department.

In 1967, Farfan and Mendes Limited helped to introduce and pioneer the use of chain saws in Guyana, through demonstrations and a training programme sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). From that time onward, the name Farfan and Mendes has become synonymous with the timber industry in Guyana.

In the 1990’s, Farfan and Mendes evolved into a reliable supplier of industrial equipment, including machinery for

Today, Farfan and Mendes is involved in a joint venture with Iwokrama International Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development (IIC) in the Iwokrama Logging and Sawmill Project which aims to develop more sustainable practices in the timber industry. Techniques for improving logging and processing efficiencies and the production of value-added products are the main focus of the project.

IIC will employ a 60-year cutting cycle, harvesting a maximum of 1800 ha per year (which is less than 0.5 per cent of the Iwokrama Forest) under a very selective harvesting regime which will result in only a few trees per hectare being removed and not creating any large gaps in the forest canopy.

Suriname signs historic agreements with CDB

The Ministry of Trade and Industry of Suriname on Friday last signed two historic agreements with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for projects to improve Suriname’s implementation of both the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

The two projects will assist in transforming Suriname into a more competitive economy, increasing its export earnings, and making the country more attractive for investment. The projects, to be implemented by the Ministry and the Suriname Business Forum, are being funded through two grant facilities – The CSME Standby Facility and the EPA between the European Union and CARIFORUM Standby Facility.

“With the support of the Caribbean Development Bank, CARIFORUM and the EU, we will be able to accomplish some important goals with these projects,” said Minister of Trade and Industry, Don Soejit Tosendjojo. “These grants through the Trade Facilities will allow us to bridge the gap between world trends in trade facilitation and our current system, as well as prepare ourselves to deal with the increasing challenges of operating in competitive world markets. This project is an indication of the synergy between important development partners, namely the European Union, CARIFORUM, and the Caribbean Development Bank. It also symbolises a new relationship between Suriname and the Caribbean Development Bank, one that will enable us to harvest many benefits in the future. I express my sincere appreciation to all institutions and individuals involved who have contributed to these projects

and congratulate the business community of Suriname which will be the direct beneficiary of the important work being done here.”

The Ministry will implement a grant from the EPA Standby Facility which will help determine the requirements for establishing an Electronic Single Window (ESW). The ESW will allow importers and exporters to submit all of the documentation needed to obtain licences to trade online. Currently, applications for trade licences must be submitted in hard copy and manually processed. Depending on the volume of applications received and the extent to which forms have been filled correctly and accompanied by the required certificates, it can take up to a month to obtain a licence. The establishment of the ESW will allow all applications and processing to be done electronically thereby significantly reducing processing time to as little as 48 hours. The EU contribution through the EPA Standby Facility for this project is 178,111 euros.

“These two projects, when fully implemented, will in a tangible way demonstrate how the Region’s trading re-

gime can be used to create sustainable economic opportunities for our people,” said Edward Greene, Division Chief, Technical Cooperation Division of the CDB. “The projects also represent a practical example of CDB’s commitment to our partnership with Suriname, and we look forward to supporting the Government and Private Sector in Suriname in the successful execution of these projects.”

“Developing the ExportReadiness of Suriname’s Agrifood Enterprises for the Caricom Market” is a project being implemented by the Suriname Business Forum (SBF) and funded by the CSME Standby Facility to improve relationships between Suriname-based agrifood exporters and importers and distributors in two targeted Caricom markets – Barbados and Trinidad. Once completed, the project will improve the delivery of export development support services by the Ministry to the SBF. The SBF will identify businesses in the agricultural sector to receive capacity-building support to increase their ability to export to CSME member states. The EU contribution through the

Nabbed Nandy Park suspect implicated in Agricola execution

The 27-year-old man arrested for the murder of Travis Rudder who was gunned down at his Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home, has been implicated in the execution of an Agricola resident back in April.

Orpheus Johnson, of Lot 13 First Street, Craig, EBD, was arrested on Sunday evening as he was about to board a Route 42 minibus at Stabroek, Georgetown. He was spotted by a plainclothes Police, who confronted him. During the confrontation, the Police rank informed him that he was wanted for the murder of Rudder and the attempted murder of Rudder’s 18-monthold son and the child’s mother.

As such, the Police Officer called for backup and a search was conducted on Johnson’s person which uncovered an unlicensed 9mm Beretta Pistol with 18 matching rounds. It is believed that the same calibre of bullets was used to kill 26-year-old Rudder while he was asleep with his family. Rudder was shot several times to his body while his 31-yearold girlfriend, Mawanza Gill, received seven gun shots s and his infant son Travic Rudder was shot five times to his body.

CSME Standby Facility for this project is 217,727 euros. The two projects form part of the relationship between CARIFORUM (the grouping of CSME member states plus the Dominican Republic) and the EU. The two facilities are managed by the CDB.

As Police continued their investigations, it was brought to their attention that Johnson was implicated in the April 22 killing of 32-yearold Gladstone George, of Lot 40 Brutus Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown. Guyana Times was made to understand that an identification parade was held on Tuesday during which Johnson was positively identified by an eye-

Murder

witness as the person who shot George dead while he was in a minibus on the Agricola Public Road. When contacted, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed that the man was positively identified for a second execution.

According to initial information, the 32-year-old father of one had stopped a minibus which was heading to Georgetown. He entered and proceeded to the back seat where he sat; however, before the vehicle pulled off, a lone gunman on a bicycle rode up and began shooting indiscriminately at George. The shooter was unmasked.

Johnson was also wanted for a number of armed robberies. Johnson was tried for the 2009 murder of Brendon Charles, but was freed in October 2013 in the High Court by Justice James BovellDrakes after a no-case submission was upheld in his favour. Johnson’s Attorney, Latchmie Rahamat had made a no-case submission that there was an insufficiency of evidence provided by the Prosecution after State Counsel Natasha Backer closed her case.

Edward Greene, Division Chief of the Technical Cooperation Division of the CDB, signs the agreement with Minister of Trade and Industry, Don Soejit Tosendjojo

suspect: Orpheus Johnson

Managing Director Andrew Mendes, his mother June Mendes and his daughter Savannah Mendes gather around for a simple ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the Farfan and Mendes Group of Company brand new headquarters in Providence, EBD

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

(May 21June 20)

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

By making minor repairs and adjustments to your residence, you will increase the value of your home and add to your comfort. Shopping will lead to a bargain, but don’t go over budget.

Interesting friendships will develop through involvement in a worthwhile cause. If you do your best to help others, a leadership position that interests you will become available.

Don’t spread yourself too thin. The risk to your health is not worth the added responsibility. An interesting proposal will give you additional free time.

You will not have a problem recruiting partners for your next big project. Physical activity will help to relieve the tension building up between you and the people you live with.

No one is placing pressure on you; it’s you who is fretting about what others think and do. Get your life in perspective and stop worrying about nothing. You don’t need to explain your every move. Do whatever it takes to ensure your future security. Do what’s right for you and don’t worry about the opinions of others.

You’ll have trouble communicating today. This would be a good time to catch up on some reading or begin work on a project that doesn’t require others. Do things on your own.

You’ll be feeling run down. Be good to yourself. Enjoy a favorite meal, call up an old friend and keep your projects to a minimum until you regain your energy.

You need to take part in something new and exciting. Gather close friends and neighbors and organize a day of physical or intellectual competitions that will motivate and stimulate everyone.

Your schedule will be turned upside down by an unanticipated situation. Remain calm and deal with matters diplomatically. Becoming overly emotional will only make matters worse.

A trip with or to visit friends will provide inspiration for a new career direction. You will be surprised at the opportunities that are available and within reach.

Don’t obsess over workrelated matters. Make it a habit when you arrive home to do something to take your thoughts off your job. Clearing your mind will help you regenerate.

GEMINI

Peanuts

Calvin and hobbes

dilbert arChie

Williams to face Sharapova in semis after quarterfinal win

Top seed Serena Williams kept alive her hopes of a sixth Wimbledon title and a possible calendar Grand Slam with a three-set win over Victoria Azarenka.

The American, 33, won a high-quality quarter-final 3-6 6-2 6-3 in front of 15,000 spectators on Centre Court.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion has now won 26 matches in a row at the majors stretching back to Wimbledon 2014.

Williams goes on to face Russian fourth seed Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals on Thursday.

She is now two wins from holding all four major singles titles, and closer to becoming the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1988 to win all four in one year, but afterwards continued her policy of not talking about the subject, saying “no Slam talk”.

Williams and Sharapova will meet for the 20th time, with the American having won the last 16 encounters.

“It’s been a while but she’s been playing really well, she’s such a fighter,” Williams told BBC Sport.

“I look forward to it. I don’t have anything to lose, I’m just going in there trying to win a match.”

Spanish 20th seed Garbine Muguruza will play Poland’s former finalist Agnieszka Radwanska, the 13th seed, in the other semi-final.

Serena still on course Williams came through

Serena Williams

one of the toughest tests she has faced while picking up titles at the US, Australian and French Opens to keep her amazing Grand Slam run going.

The American hit 17 aces and 46 winners to overcome Azarenka in an intense contest that lasted two hours and five minutes.

“It was really fun out there,” said Williams. “I was smiling at one point and I saw Victoria smiling as well. We both really enjoyed it.

“It’s been up and down, up and down, but somehow I’m still alive. I’m just happy to be here.”

Azarenka knew she could trouble Williams, having taken her to three sets twice during the recent clay-court season

and squandering three match points against the American in Madrid.

After surviving some early pressure on serve, the Belarusian broke for 3-1 after her power drew an error and then converted her third set point with a raking forehand winner.

The standard of hitting was remarkable, each putting the other under huge pressure on serve early in the second.

Azarenka fought off three break points in game four, Williams then saved herself with a big serve and a backhand in game five.

The key moment came when Williams broke to lead 4-2 with a dipping backhand, setting up a run of seven straight games that effectively decided the match. (BBC Sport)

Tallawahs repeat Zouks...

The loss of Ross Taylor too before the end of the Powerplay, ensured a rebuilding phase must occur, and although Pietersen and Darren Sammy later kicked on, the understandable caution they exhibited in the second quarter of the innings, perhaps saw them finish a few runs light of what would’ve been a more pressuring total.

Pietersen did his best to repair the damage smiting a flurry of boundaries as the innings wound to a close. Having scored 56-3 from the first ten, the Zouks managed an impressive 102-1 from their last ten.

The Zouks didn’t bowl well early on however, and once they let the Tallawahs slip there was no stopping them. (CPL.com)

SCOREBOARD

St Lucia Zouks innings (20 overs maximum)

ADS Fletcher† st †Walton

b Santokie 8 J Charles b Santokie 0

KP Pietersen not out 83

LRPL Taylor c Lynn b Taylor 2

H Davids c Jayawardene

b Russell 26

DJG Sammy* retired hurt 29

NL McCullum not out 0

Extras: (b 5, lb 1, w 3, nb 1) 10

Total:(4 wickets; 20 overs) 158

Did not bat: KAJ Roach, FH Edwards, S Shillingford, ST Gabriel Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-14, 3-27, 4-79

Bowling: K Santokie 4-0-29-2, DL Vettori 4-0-13-0, JE Taylor

4-0-37-1, AD Russell 4-0-321, J Theron 4-0-41-0. Jamaica Tallawahs innings

(target: 159 runs from 20 overs)

CAK Walton† c Roach

b Edwards 76

CH Gayle* not out 64

CA Lynn not out 8

Extras: (lb 1, w 8, nb 2) 11

Total: (1 wicket; 16 overs) 159

Did not bat: DPMD

Jayawardene, AD Russell, J Blackwood, DL Vettori, J Theron, NE Bonner, JE Taylor, K Santokie

Fall of wickets: 1-119

Bowling: NL McCullum 3-035-0, FH Edwards 4-0-33-1, KAJ Roach 2-0-27-0, ST Gabriel 3-019-0, S Shillingford 4-0-44-0.

Regional Under-17, 1st Round…

Guyana lose to Jamaica by 6 wickets

Guyana suffered a six wicket defeat at the hands of Jamaica in the opening round of the Regional under-17 tournament on Tuesday at Shaw Park in Tobago.

Batting first Guyana reached 173-9 off 50 overs with Joshua Persaud 45, Ramnarine Chatura 36 ben the principle scorers. Ian Spence 2-29 was the best bowler for Jamaica.

In reply Jamaica reached 177-4 in 48.1 overs. Brad Barnes made an accomplished 74 not out, Raewin Senior 45, Kashwayne Beale 21 and Dominic Samuels 2.

Other first round matches: At Louis D’Or: Trinidad & Tobago won by 4 wickets. LEEWARD ISLANDS 207 off 49.4 overs (Jerrilous Louis 65, Michael Lewis 53; Kirstan Kallicharran 2-29, Nathaniel McDavid 2-48).

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

208 for six off 35.5 overs (Nathaniel McDavid 52 not out, Keegan Simmons 51, Siba Batoosingh 40

SCOREBOARD

Guyana Uunder-17 innings Perez c B Barnes b S Williams 4

J Persaud run out (J Royal) 45

A Sukhwa+ c and b J Royal 17 T McAlmont c S Parnell

b B Barnes 16

R Chatura run out (I Spence) 36

R Alimohamed* c K Beale

b M Harriott 3

A Nedd lbw b I Spence 7

K Sinclair not out 19

R Looknauth b I Spence 27

S Tyndall run out(R McIntosh) 1

S Hatheramani not out 10

Extras: (7nb 4w 2lb) 13

Total: (for nine wickets) 173

Bowler: M Harriott 10-0-44-1, S Williams 4-1- 14-1, D Samuels

not out; Zawandi Whyte 3-47).

At Canaan: Windward Islands won by 112 runs. WINDWARD ISLANDS 231 for four off 50 overs

6-0-17-0, J Royal 10-0-26-1, B Barnes 10-3-27-1, S Parnell 1-0-14-0, I Spence 9-1-29-2 Jamaica innings

K Bealerun out(R Looknauth) 21 R McIntosh b R Looknauth 4 D Samuels b A Nedd 21 B Barnes* not out 74 R Senior run out (T McAlmont) 45 J Royal not out 0

Extras: (1nb 9w 1lb 1b) 12

Total: (for four wickets) 177

Bowlers: R Looknauth 10-327-1, R Mohamed 6.1-0-410, S Hatheramani 7-1-24-0, A Nedd 10-2-21-1,S Tyndall 6-0-34-0, K Sinclair 9-2-28-0

Hoyte 2-27). BARBADOS 119 off 37.4 overs (Limar Pierce 42, Nico

Johann Jeremiah 4-3, Lee Louisy 2-24, Johnel Eugene 2-28).

P&P 11-race cycling set for Saturday

P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Limited will on Saturday stage its 15th annual 11-race cycling programme at the National Park with the country’s leading riders set to participate. National coach and organiser of the event, Hassan Mohamed, on Tuesday confirmed the company’s continued investment in the game, noting that it was a positive step for the sport.

The activity will pedal off at 09:00h with rivalry among the younger group of riders in the BMX 6-9, 9-12, 12-14 and Open categories. That will be followed by competition among the juvenile, veteran, mountain bike and senior riders.

Last year’s main event, the feature 35-lap School Boys and Invitational, was won by Team Coco’s Stephano Husbands, who clocked one hour, 16

minutes, 25.86 seconds (01h:16m: 25.86s).

Other category winners included Alonzo Ambrose (Juveniles); Junior Niles (Veterans Under-50); Jaleel Jackson (12-14 Boys and Girls) and Ozia McUally (Mountain Bikes). Officials of P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Limited will witness the races and later assist in the presentation of prizes to the top riders.

(Emmanuel Stewart 103 not out, Allick Athanaze 47, Nick Elibox 25 not out, Johnnel Eugene 23; Jarion

Reifer 20;

Flashback! Representatives of P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Limited pose with the top performers of the 2014 programme

Younis 171* gives Pakistan series in record chase

Younis Khan’s epic, unbeaten 171 led Pakistan to their highest successful chase,

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka 1st innings 278 Pakistan 1st innings 215

Sri Lanka 2nd innings 313 Pakistan 2nd innings

(target: 377 runs)

Shan Masood st †Chandimal b Kaushal 125

Ahmed Shehzad b Lakmal 0 Azhar Ali c †Chandimal b Prasad 5

Younis Khan not out 171

Misbah-ul-Haq* not out 59

Extras: (b 5, lb 10, w 2, nb 5) 22

Total: (3 wickets; 103.1 overs; 462 mins) 382

Did not: batAsad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed†, Ehsan Adil, Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-13, 3-255

Bowling: KTGD Prasad

20-2-65-1, RAS Lakmal

19-5-48-1, N Pradeep

17-3-51-0, AD Mathews 132-34-0, PHT Kaushal 31-1153-1, J Mubarak 3.1-0-160.

the second highest in Asia for any side, and the sixth highest in all Test cricket. It also gave them their first series win in Sri Lanka since 2006, and catapulted them to third in the ICC Test rankings.

The feat required the highest fourth-innings partnership for Pakistan, 242 between Younis and Shan

Masood, who fell on the fifth morning for 125. Misbahul-Haq arrived with 122 needed, saw off Sri Lanka’s quicks till lunch, and opened up after that to reel off an unbeaten 59, finishing the match with a six.

Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers put in a spirited effort, especially with the second new ball, but could not break down Younis and Misbah.

Pakistan needed 147 more at the start of the day, and Masood and Younis’ record partnership grew by 25 before the former fell to his nerves. Masood had been tied down by Sri Lanka’s accuracy, and was itching to break free. No release was provided by Angelo Mathews and the specialist seamers. When the offspinner Tharindu Kaushal was introduced in the 11th over of the morning, Masood, eyeing some runs, jumped out, but was beaten by the turn to be stumped.

Sri Lanka’s specialist spinner had begun promisingly after a wayward return of 0 for 92 in 20 overs on day four, but again, he failed to sustain the pressure. He did shift his line wider outside off and spun it in sharply with men waiting in the leg trap, but was too inconsistent with his lengths. Misbah and Younis used the sweep frequently, and put away the regular full tosses with ease.

It was a different story against the quicks. The first boundary of the day

came only in the tenth over, when Younis forced an edge through the vacant slip region off Nuwan Pradeep.

There was little in the pitch by way of variable bounce to suggest it was a day-five subcontinent wicket. Despite their discipline at the start, Sri Lanka were dependent on the new ball. Pakistan needed 101 more when it was taken, and they had the personnel in the middle to get them through.

Misbah was happy to deny himself against the new ball, going 22 balls without a run. Batting on a big hundred, Younis was eager to move across and play as much as he could. There was an unsuccessful review for leg-before against Younis, on 128, by Dhammika Prasad, replays returning umpire’s call for points of impact on pad and stumps.

As Mathews tried Kaushal again at the stroke of lunch, Misbah stepped out to lift him over mid-on. Sri Lanka’s challenge fell apart after lunch, Misbah and Younis raining boundaries on the hapless Kaushal, who had played ahead of veteran Rangana Herath, and was to end with figures of 1 for 153 in 31 overs.

The winning runs came again from Misbah’s bat, as they had come during their Sharjah chase of 302 against Sri Lanka in 2014. Younis ended with the fifthhighest score in a chase. (Cricinfo)

Leie, Phangiso sink Bangladesh

After South Africa’s fast bowlers chiseled out their win in the first match, their batsmen and spinners crafted victory in the second to ensure a comprehensive series win over Bangladesh in their first preparatory outing for the World T20.

Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers’ opening stand of 95, propped up by two middle-order partnerships in the 30s set up a total of 169 before debutant Eddie Leie stole the headlines with the best figures by a South African on T20 debut and shared six wickets with Aaron Phangiso to give the selectors another option for the future.

South Africa had the better of challenging conditions, as Bangladesh’s plan to make homeground advantage count backfired on them. On a slow surface which offered significant turn, it became harder to bat as the match progressed, so that not even an improved batting perfor-

bat. But the next ball went straight on and de Villiers’ hung back to produce a delicate late cut and begun to take control of the opening exchange.

Nasir Hossain’s six wides in his first over and de Kock’s aggression against Sunny ensured South Africa had already wrested the advantage by the time Bangladesh brought on their first seamer in the fourth over.

Mustafizur Rahman imme-

SCOREBOARD

South Africa innings (20 overs maximum)

Q de Kock† c Sabbir Rahman b Arafat Sunny 44

AB de Villiers c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Nasir Hossain 40

JP Duminy c Shakib Al Hasan b Nasir Hossain 6

F du Plessis* c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Mustafizur Rahman 16

DA Miller not out 30

RR Rossouw not out 19

Extras: (b 4, lb 1, w 9) 14

Total: (4 wickets; 20 overs) 169

Did not bat: D Wiese, WD Parnell, AM Phangiso, KJ

Abbott, E Leie

Fall of wickets: 1-95, 2-102, 3-102, 4-136

Bowling: Arafat Sunny 4-031-1, Nasir Hossain 4-026-2, Mustafizur Rahman 4-0-34-1, Shakib Al Hasan 4-0-37-0, Mashrafe Mortaza 3-0-25-0, Soumya Sarkar 1-011-0.

Bangladesh innings (target: 170 runs from 20 overs)

mance from the hosts could see them salvage something from the contest.

Evidence of turn and bounce appeared in the first over when Arafat Sunny surprised de Villiers with a delivery that spun square, kicked up dust and beat the

VCB looks for improvement ahead of World Champs

Veronica CampbellBrown will continue trying to improve ahead of the World Championships in Beijing having qualified for the 100 and 200 metres there.

Campbell-Brown was no match for Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce over 100 metres at Jamaica’s National Trials in Kingston, neither was she quite up to scratch over the half-lap event when compatriot Elaine Thompson won, with Sherone Simpson in tow.

Tomorrow though, she will hit the track over the

shorter of the sprints at the Istvan Gyulai Memorial

in Hungary, where she will face her biggest foe, her own aging body.

Campbell-Brown is yet to break 11 seconds this season, her quickest, an 11.04 clocking. That time may not be worthy of a place on the podium at the World Championships with so many athletes dipping below 11 seconds already, however, Campbell-Brown is tried and proven.

In fact, she has not failed to medal any World Championships she has run at. Only last year, Campbell-Brown won the

Diamond League, and was considered the best in the world over 100 metres, her season’s best of 10.86 putting her right up there with the highest performances of the year.

The 2004 and 2008 Olympic 200m winner will continue her season in Switzerland where she will contest the 200 metres.

The Luzern meeting on July 14 will again, feature her in a battle to get back to her best. This season, her quickest is 22.68, a far cry from 21.78 she did inside the Bird’s Nest in 2008. (Digicel Sportsmax)

Tamim Iqbal c Wiese b Parnell 13

Soumya Sarkar st †de Kock b Leie 37

Shakib Al Hasan c Rossouw b Phangiso 8

Mushfiqur Rahim† c Rossouw b Leie 19

Sabbir Rahman c Miller b Leie 1

Nasir Hossain c Rossouw b Phangiso 0

Rony Talukdar b Abbott 21

Litton Das c Wiese b Phangiso 10 Mashrafe Mortaza* b Abbott 17

Arafat Sunny not out 5 Mustafizur Rahman b Abbott 0

Extras: (w 6, nb 1) 7

Total: (all out; 19.2 overs) 138

Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-55, 3-69, 4-82, 5-82, 6-82, 7-103, 8-125, 9-137, 10-138

Bowling: KJ Abbott 3.2-0-203, JP Duminy 4-0-26-0, WD Parnell 3-0-29-1, D Wiese 2-0-17-0, E Leie 3-0-16-3, AM Phangiso 4-0-30-3.

diately opted for the offcutter to match the conditions but South Africa were wise to his plan. He also offered width, which de Villiers could not resist, and by the time the Powerplay ended, South Africa’s 50 was on the board.

With de Kock and de Villiers playing confidently against both spin and seam - their footwork was a hallmark of their partnership - Bangladesh were staring at conceding more than 200 until de Kock misplaced one. He was trying to dig Sunny out over midwicket but did not find the gap and was caught by Sabbir Rahman.

That sparked a minicollapse through which Bangladesh dragged themselves back into the game. JP Duminy gave himself no time to get his eye in and immediately tried to sweep Nasir but got a leading edge and on the next ball, de Villiers was caught behind trying to guide the ball down to fine leg.

South Africa had lost three wickets for seven runs in seven balls and their plight could have worsened when Nasir and Mushfiqur Rahim appealed for caughtbehind off David Miller. There was no conclusive evidence of an edge on replays and with no DRS, Miller survived.

Faf du Plessis and Miller managed just 33 from the next six overs as it became clear run-scoring was becoming more difficult. The lack of pace in the pitch meant the batsmen were occasionally playing too early and premeditated strokes were not paying off.

Bangladesh’s lethargic fielding helped push the total along and Miller and Rilee Rossouw ensured a strong finish. They plundered 32 off the last two overs to give Bangladesh a tough task.

Instead of the aggressive approach they employed in the first match, Bangladesh’s openers were more watchful and it served them well. They were able to capitalise on widthwhich both Kyle Abbott and Wayne Parnell provided - and anything too short - where David Wiese sometimes erred - to provide a solid start.

But just as it seemed Bangladesh would put up a stern challenge, Tamim Iqbal was swung at a short, slow ball from Parnell, it went straight up and Wiese took the catch. In the next over, Leie’s first as an international cricketer, he deceived Soumya Sarkar with flight and had him stumped. Bangladesh used the next three overs to regroup but instead of absorbing pressure, they were consumed by it. Their next four wickets fell for 13 runs - Shakib Al Hasan holed out to Phangiso’s first ball, Sabbir slogged Leie to midwicket before Mushfiqur attacked a low full toss only to find a leaping Rossouw at short cover and Nasir sent Phangiso into longoff’s hands - to leave them 82 for 6.

Abbott’s yorkers finished off the tail but not before Bangladesh pushed their total over 100, which they did not manage in the first game. Still, they would not have been pleased with the way they folded, especially after their recent record at home, and will aim to put that right in the ODIs. (Cricinfo)

The victorious Pakistan team after winning the series 2-1

Eddie Leie picked up three wickets on his debut

Veronica Campbell-Brown

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Mayweather stripped of WBO title won from Pacquiao

Five-weight world champion Floyd Mayweather has been stripped of the WBO welterweight belt won from Manny Pacquiao in May.

The 38-year-old failed to pay the WBO a $200,000 (£128,000) fee to administer the fight by the 3 July deadline.

Mayweather had been expected to relinquish the title by now, saying he planned to do so following his points victory over Pacquiao.

Fellow American Timothy Bradley will now become the full belt holder.

After Mayweather defeated Pacquiao, he had declared he would vacate all his titles in order to give younger fighters the chance to win belts.

“The WBO World Championship Committee is allowed no other alternative but to cease to recognize Mr Floyd Mayweather Jr as the WBO welterweight champion of the world and vacate his title.” said a statement on wbo-

boxing.com.

Mayweather, who still holds the WBA and WBC belts at welterweight, has until 20 July to appeal against the decision.

He is expected to stage one more fight in Las Vegas on 12 September, although he has yet to name the opponent.

The WBO created a vacant interim welterweight belt for the 27 June fight between Bradley and Jessie Vargas. (BBC Sport)

Scotiabank invests in Dcc players

Scotiabank on Tuesday donated in excess of $260,000 to 12 national youth players of the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) who will be representing Guyana in the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Youth Tournaments.

The investment will be used to purchase gear and outfits for each player.

The brief handingover ceremony was done at Scotiabank’s Robb Street location, and was spearheaded by Manager Brian Hackett, who said that this move was simply to help players to be properly outfitted and have the appropriate cricket gear in order to excel for their Club and country.

“We have a partnership that has now started with DCC in particular for the youth cricketers in that Club. The Club approached us to look at financing for particular areas in which

the kids can achieve certain objectives, so this presentation is a reflection of that conversation that has started,” Hackett said.

Hackett confirmed that the Bank was willing to work closely with DCC and continue this venture on a long-term basis.

He continued, “This venture is to ensure they get the right gear to play the game and that’s the initial stage of the process and the next stage we will have a collaborative effort in making sure they can play at the next level with our support, but we want to identify some of the players who we will be supporting and from that we will go to the next level.”

DCC President Alfred Mentore said that the venture between the two entities will indeed benefit the Club, the players and Guyana.

“We are thankful not

only for Scotiabank, but the other sponsors who came aboard to ensure our youngsters are well-outfitted for national duties for Guyana,” Mentore said.

National Under-15 batsman Alphius Bookie thanked the Bank on behalf of his Club and teammates for the assistance.

Other sponsors who recently came on board with donations of bats, boots, gloves and other equipment for the young DCC players include: (Lennox Cush ) Star Party Rental; (Bish Panday) P&P Insurance Brokers; Lifetime Real Estate; (Robert Hanoman) Normac Inc; (Ryan Shivraj) Buddy’s Pool Hall; (Brian Glasford) Caribbean Clothing and (Patrick Harding) West Kaburi Mining.

Twelve players from the Club were selected to represent Guyana, at the Under-15, 17 and 19 levels.

Da Silva’s

Better

Better.

A

Mayweather lands a left to the chin of Pacquiao during their WBO bout

National Under-15 player Alphius Bookie accepts the sponsorship cheque from Scotiabank Manager Brian Hackett in the presence of his teammates, DCC President Alfred Mentore and Scotiabank Relationship Officer Karen Harris

Guyana Rugby 7s team eager to dominate at Pan Am Games in Toronto

By ravendra Madholall in ToronTo

The Guyana Rugby seven’s team are eager to dominate at this year’s Pan American Games which starts on Saturday at BMO Field in Toronto against defending champion Argentina.

Having arrived in Canada several days ago, the side got underway with two warm-up matches last Saturday in Burlington and despite suffering defeats, for-

mer skipper Ryan Gonsalves expressed deep confidence that the guys will come out on top.

“I just want to say that the guys are in good shape and ready to make an impression in Toronto; two senior players have injuries, but they should be fine for Saturday’s showdown, so I am very confident that we can be in the winning column,” the veteran Gonsalves stated.

Their dominance in the North America Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) tournament over the past decade, the Guyanese believe, is one of the greatest motivations they have now to be inspired.

“I can safely say that we are playing competitive rug-

by over the years and to be at the Pan Am Games is another achievement for Guyana and I am very hopeful that the team will be the champion; it is a tough group, but we have to be focused,” Gonsalves related.

Guyana will begin their quest for supremacy against the aforementioned country, then they will take on Canada before clashing with Brazil the same day in Pool B.

The other group comprises the United States of America, Uruguay, Chile and Mexico. The winner of each pool will play the lowest-rank team in the other group while No 2 takes on No 3 in the cross-pool knockout stage.

Although Guyana lost by an immense margin, 51-0, to Canada at the last NACRA in Cary, North Carolina, 31-year-old Gonsalves mentioned that they have moved on, and expected the guys to put in a much improved performance.

“We just have to put those bad performances behind us and focus on this new tournament; this is a massive event and the players are very pumped up too,” Gonsalves revealed.

The experienced Gonsalves still with the distinction of leading Guyana to the first Pan Am Games in Mexico four years ago while he skippered the team to NACRA’s 7s and 15s championships, the Las Vegas 7s and Hong Kong 7s.

Another seasoned campaigner, Claudius Butts, who is also in a highly optimistic mood, stated that the team is brimming with profound confidence and capable of winning this tournament.

He stated that the onus

was on the senior players to bring out their best performances and ultimately make Guyana proud. “We definitely will play competitive rugby; the preparations are going okay and we have a good team to do well here in Canada.”

Butts acknowledged his responsibilities as well, and said they have a great chance to prove their skills and vie for a spot at next year’s Olympics in Brazil.

Meanwhile, the team, along with other participating athletes, are set to attend a reception at Twilight Restaurant and Bar in Scarborough where they will be hosted by the Guyana Consulate.

The full team reads: Richard Staglon (Captain); Peobo Hamilton; Lancelot Adonis; Rickford Cummings; Claudius Butts; Ronald Mayers; Patrick King; Akeem Frazer; Ryan Gonsalves; Dwayne Schroeder; Phibian Joseph and Avery Corbin. The Manager is Terrence Grant and Theodore Henry as the Coach.

Windies cricket failing young players says Lara

Windies batting legend Brian Lara believes the West Indies is still woefully lacking in infrastructure, despite recent improvements made in the area regionally.

The batting legend pointed out that despite tremendous talent available in the region, a system that remained somewhat fragmented and inadequate infrastructure had failed to properly develop the players.

“It’s a bit fragmented in terms of guys not playing and it is a bit of an uncomfortable situation. I believe that West Indies cricket has some fundamental problems. Our infrastructure is not very good and if we get this right there at the grassroots level, the young crick-

eters coming through would have something, a structure, to work with,” Lara said.

“I think what you’re seeing now with the West Indies team, any guy who is 21 or 22 (years), I believe most of

NSBF Championships... Blowouts continue on Day 2

By TreisTon Joseph

Two nights are in the books as blowouts continue to occur in the National School Basketball Festival (NSBF) that continued on Monday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

In the only bit of female action for the day, Kwakwani Secondary School hammered New Amsterdam Multilateral 52-2.

Kenesha Leacock was the top scorer with 20 points and she completely dissected the defence of the Berbice opposition. Leacock also had four steals while Jenna DaSilva contributed 12 points to the win. Annlesa Barker scored the only basket for New Amsterdam while picking up two rebounds as well.

In Under-16 action, Tutorial High School routed Queen’s College 47-8 to start their campaign on the right note. Dequan Manning had a game-high 12 points to lead the way for the Woolford Avenue School.

Meanwhile, in Under-14 action, Mackenzie High School topped Kwakwani 53-12, as Yonnick Tappin AP Layer shot the lights out with 17 points while grabbing six rebounds and six steals.

Marian Academy were a force to deal with in the Under-14 category defeat-

ing the Bishops’ High School 37-19.

Josiah Daniels was the outstanding performer with 16 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the tournament. Action in the tournament will continue throughout the remainder of the week with the finals set for Sunday.

Hing wins Practical Pistol Shoot

National Smallbore Captain Dale Hing amassed 139.59 points to win last Sunday’s Practical Pistol Shoot at the Timehri ranges.

83.93, Azaad Hassan fourth with 77.51 and Gordon Richards fifth with 70.12 points.

it is natural ability. I’m not sure how well that’s been enhanced and that’s been our problem,” he added.

Lara believed one major area that has seen the team lag way behind is the application of technology to the sport.

“I think the game has evolved. During my period and maybe the ‘70s and ‘80s, natural ability played a very big part in the game. Now, technology is there. Everybody knows what different weaknesses of players are. They see it on computers and they study it. If you don’t bring your game up to that level, you’re going to struggle and that’s where we struggle as a board, to support our players,” he added.

(Digicel Sportsmax)

The competition comprised two stages with the marksmen engaging various targets, both stationary and moving, with accuracy and speed for the best score at the fastest time.

Second place was won by Ray Beharry, who totalled 92.83 points, with Ryan McKinnon in third spot with

Hing won the first stage with 100 points to beat into second position Gordon Richard, who secured 66.77 points, while third position went to Ray Beharry, who shot 56.53 points.

The other top finishers were David Dharry (51.20) and Azaad Hassan (48.40).

In the second stage, McKinnon took the top honours with 100 points, fol-

lowed by Hing in second position with 87.99 points. Third place was occupied by Beharry with 80.69, fourth place Hassan (64.56) and fifth, Joshua Ramlakhan (26.92).

Hing said he was pleased with the turnout of shooters for the event organised over the Caricom weekend.

International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) Regional Director Harold Hopkinson was also in attendance for the oneday event.

Lady Jags to play...

He further noted, “Of course, we are excited to be playing in Olympic Qualifiers. Yet again, we just do not just want to participate, we intend to leave a lasting impression on field and continue to leave a lasting impression on women’s football in Guyana. There is no difference this time around as compared to 2010 – the goal is and remains the same. The Lady Jags, similar to the men, are a vehicle to bringing Guyanese togeth-

er worldwide. This is what we have to use as a catalyst for the physical and social development of the youth in our country.”

Meanwhile, Bolton is of the opinion that “it is essential that we highlight the significance of the Lady Jags to our young players. They need to know that they too can have struggles, obstacles, and not reach glory in the eyes of others and still be proud for giving all that they have.”

Speaking on the team’s expectation, especially since the women team is Guyana’s most successful at all levels, Bolton made it clear: “We have no illusions. We know that this group is not expected, nor have they been prepared, to compete at the highest levels. However, Coach Rodrigues and every single player have proudly and eagerly accepted the challenge. This effort can be the catalyst for making certain that we never face such a reality again.”

Dequan Manning skies for a lay-up

Dale Hing (centre) with other top performers of the one-day event

Ryan Gonsalves

Brian Lara

Claudius Butts

President Granger victory cycle race set for Sunday in Berbice

Cycling coach Randolph Roberts and the Flying Ace Cycling Club (FACC) of Berbice will host a 60-mile road race on the Corentyne roadways, from 10:00h on Sunday.

Dubbed the “David Granger/coalition victory cycle event”, the race meet is open to all cyclists countrywide.

There will be a number of categories on show, with the main party set to pedal off from in front of the Lewis and Sons Cycle and Sports Store in Rose Hall Town before proceeding to Springlands and then back to the starting point.

The females and beginners will ride from Nand Persaud and Company to the finishing line.

A number of lucrative prizes put together by a number of business entities in Berbice are up for grabs.

Prizes will be awarded to the first eight finishers, first three juniors, the first three females, the first three veterans (35-40 years) and the

first three beginners. There will also be 10 sprint prizes up for grabs. Among the donors are

Mark and Neil Lewis of Lewis and Sons General Store, Kurt Alphonso of HE Alphonso and Sons of Berbice,

Assistant Commissioner of Police Brian Joseph, Sherwin Sinclair, Dharry Tulsie, Dr Michele Ming and Businessman Mark Arokium.

On Thursday last, principals of the Lewis and Sons General Store presented a cheque of an undisclosed sum to organiser Roberts at their business entity at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Berbice.

President David Granger is expected to be in attendance as well as Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, who has responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport; Junior Minster Nicolette Henry and Director of Sports Christopher Jones.

Malcolm Sonoram will be the race director, with Joseph Briton as his assistant. Cyclists are reminded that they must participate in their club colours.

Interested participants are asked to get in contact with coordinator Randolph Roberts.

Running Brave athletes dominate Caricom relay

Running Brave ran away with the lion’s share of the prizes at the inaugural Caricom relay, coordinated by the Education Ministry’s Department of Sports on Sunday, in collaboration with the Athletics Association of Guyana and a plethora of sponsors.

The National Park was buzzing with activity as teams comprising five persons each competed in several categories to claim the various trophies and medals that were at stake.

At the end of it all, Running Brave copped three first-place finishes and a runner-up spot in the four divisions that were contested.

The Running Brave athletes were unstoppable in the Male and Female Open categories, subjecting Police to a second-place finish in both races, while they also won the Junior Male competition. Linden and Police took second and third respectively.

However, Linden turned the table on Running Brave

in the Junior Female showdown. There were also events for the master athletes, while the novelty race was won by comedian Lyndon “Jumbie” Jones ahead of Leslie Black and Joseph Rajkumar.

Persons of all walks of life attended the event, while there was representation by the US Embassy and the Cuban medical brigade.

The event was powered by Banks DIH Limited, Payless Variety Store, Mohabeer Cambio, Star Party Rentals, Real Value Supermarket

Trinidad-based

Guyanese Kelvin Johnson and Lionel D’Andrade seemed like the only two competitors in the fifth Annual Fyzabad Athletic 5K Road Race which was held on Sunday in Trinidad.

Johnson crossed the finish line just ahead of D’Andrade in a time of 16:16s while the latter crossed the line in a time of 16:17s to finish second.

Trinidadian Brian Francis was third in 17:07s.

D’Andrade noted that while it was a good race, his focus was on the longer version of road running, “Right now I am preparing for the Banker’s Insurance Half Marathon scheduled for next month, that’s where my focus is,” he stated

The Half Marathon will run off on August 31.

“Teach Them Young’” cycling camp underway

The process of identifying and nurturing new talents to serve the discipline of cycling continued on Tuesday with the start of the 39th annual “Teach Them Young” cycling programme at the inner circuit of the National Park.

Conducted by national coach Hassan Mohamed ever since its inception almost four decades ago, the event, which will wrap up on August 29, caters for young students who are currently on school vacation.

and Fullworks’ Seasoning and Blue Spring Water, and the organisers are grateful for the support of those entities, spectators and athletes who all combined to churn out a successful inaugural event.

An early morning shower on Tuesday got the camp off to a damp start, but Mohamed was not too concerned as he was confident the six-week activity would gain momentum in the coming days.

“I want to urge the parents who wish to enrol their children in something meaningful over the holiday period to come down at the Park and let those children learn a skill. You do not have to pay a cent; the programme is free of charge, so I want people to take advantage of this opportunity,” Mohamed said.

According to the longserving national coach, the participants will be exposed to the fundamentals of the sport, while they will also be given the opportunity to participate in age group races, which will be held during the six-week period.

Coaching sessions will be held from Monday to Friday from 09:00h to 11:00h. The programme is open to all school boys and girls, beginners and other persons interested in developing their cycling skills.

Interested participants must be in possession of a BMX, Mountain or Racing cycle along with protective head gear.

The programme, which started in 1977, can be deemed highly successful as a large percentage of riders have graduated to represent Guyana and become champions in their respective categories. (Avenash Ramzan)

Hassan Mohamed

Mark Lewis of Lewis and Sons General Store at Rose Hall Town presents the cheque to Coordinator Randolph Roberts at the Lewis and Sons Store. Also sharing the moment is Neil Lewis

Kelvin Johnson (left) and Lionel D’Andrade pose with their medals

Tallawahs repeat Zouks thrashing

The Jamaica Tallawahs regis -

tered a crucial 9 wicket victory against the St. Lucia Zouks in their first home match of the season.

Fifties from Chadwick Walton and Chris Gayle made light work of the St. Lucia Zouk’s total of 158-4, with the Tallawahs reaching the target with 24 balls to spare.

Although the run-chase was the highest successful chase ever at Sabina Park in the CPL, the Tallawahs were hardly troubled in pursuit, with some loose early Zouks bowling ensuring they got ahead of the rate and from that point they never looked back.

Walton and Gayle batted with care and caution, finding a perfect balance between defence, rotation and attack, never letting the run-rate spiral and punishing bad balls whenever the pressure hinted at mounting. Gayle, unusually, played second fiddle to Walton who was the early aggressor and then as the Tallawahs neared their target, stepped up his attack once more. Only when Walton was dismissed did the Gayle we know and love come to the fore as he thrashed fours and sixes away to carry the Tallawahs home.

Although they set a record target, the Zouks may look back on their in -

nings and feel they were a few runs short. Kevin Pietersen was the only batsman who scored more than 29, blitzing 83 not out from 57 balls - his second consecutive CPL fifty. Pietersen’s last two innings have reaped 157 runs from 96 balls.

The Tallawahs did admittedly bowl excellently at the beginning of the Zouks innings after winning the toss and electing to field. Krishmar Santokie removed Johnson Charles in the first over of the match before getting this season’s leading run-scorer Andre Fletcher stumped for 8 in the third over.

Lady Jags to play international friendly on July 24

With the aim of reaching the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Guyana’s senior national women’s team are heightening preparations ahead of their Caribbean Football Union (CFU) leg of the qualifier. The Lady Jags, placed in Group Four, will compete against St Kitts and Nevis on August 21 and Cuba two days later in the Dominican Republic.

Head Coach Mark Rodrigues and Technical Director Claude Bolton announced that the Guyanese, however, will have their first taste of international football in almost five years when they face an opponent still to be confirmed on July 24 at the Leonora Track and Field Facility.

With interest from Jamaica and Puerto Rico, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Technical Director said the decision will be made shortly with regard to who the Guyanese women will suit up against.

The last time Guyana saw the Lady Jags in action was against Cuba at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Ground, where they won 1-0 and then travelled to Havana where they

No live radio, TV broadcasts for

Guyana

CPL games

Cricket lovers in Guyana will be able to enjoy the local Caribbean Premier League (CPL) matches exclusively at the ground, as radio and television stations will not broadcast the games on the night of the match.

Hero CPL 2015 tournament.

were victorious by a 3-1 scoreline. They had eventually qualified for the 2010 Women’s Gold Cup. The Lady Jags comprise primarily players from the US and Canadian collegiate systems, most of whom will be returning. Rodrigues, who along with Bolton hosted a camp in Toronto, Canada, earlier this month, said: “The returning players showed a high level of maturity and it was very exciting to see that

in training and during the game in Toronto. I was quite pleased to see that our U-20 players (now matured) who were asked to join the squad were able to raise their level of play and come close to matching that of the original senior players.”

He added, “The players, as a group, have never stopped asking me what more can they do to help develop football in Guyana.

Through that contact, I always kept abreast of players’ achievements in the game.”

The players will all assemble in Guyana for a camp, running from July 1826, and according to Rodrigues, “the focus of the camp will primarily be to get players to gel as a unit. The camp will primarily comprise of tactical and functional sessions, and with that, some fitness will be addressed.”

The Lady Jags are slated to compete in the CFU leg of the 2016 Olympic qualifiers next month turn to page 22

This is in keeping with CPL policy throughout the region, where local games in every host country are only allowed delayed broadcasts.

Fans will therefore have to be at the ground to see the games live, or wait until the delayed broadcasts at times to be announced by the respective stations.

Fourmatches will be hosted at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerarabetween July 15 to 21 as part of the

The Guyana Amazon Warriors will feature in all four matches, as the organisers have opted to give each franchise four home games. On July 15, Guyana Amazon Warriors will play 2013 champions Jamaica Tallawahs at 18:00h; on July 17 they will come up against St Lucia Zouks at 20:00h; on July 18 they will play Barbados Tridents at 16:00h; and on July 21, they will face Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel from 18:00h.

Unlike previous years when Guyana hosted matches earlier in the tournament, it will now stage the final round before the two eliminators and grand final in Trinidad and Tobago. (CPL Release)

Krishmar Santokie takes two early wickets to put Jamaica on course for their huge victory